Your browser does not fully support modern features. Please upgrade for a smoother experience.
Submitted Successfully!
Thank you for your contribution! You can also upload a video entry or images related to this topic. For video creation, please contact our Academic Video Service.
Version Summary Created by Modification Content Size Created at Operation
1 Nataša Urošević -- 624 2026-04-02 03:13:06 |
2 formatted Perry Fu Meta information modification 624 2026-04-02 05:32:20 |

Video Upload Options

We provide professional Academic Video Service to translate complex research into visually appealing presentations. Would you like to try it?
No, upload directly Yes
Cite
If you have any further questions, please contact Encyclopedia Editorial Office.
Urošević, N.; Rakitovac, K.A.; Legović, M. Heritage Management and Sustainable Tourism: A Systematic Literature Review. Encyclopedia. Available online: https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/59646 (accessed on 29 April 2026).
Urošević N, Rakitovac KA, Legović M. Heritage Management and Sustainable Tourism: A Systematic Literature Review. Encyclopedia. Available at: https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/59646. Accessed April 29, 2026.
Urošević, Nataša, Kristina Afrić Rakitovac, Matteo Legović. "Heritage Management and Sustainable Tourism: A Systematic Literature Review" Encyclopedia, https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/59646 (accessed April 29, 2026).
Urošević, N., Rakitovac, K.A., & Legović, M. (2026, April 02). Heritage Management and Sustainable Tourism: A Systematic Literature Review. In Encyclopedia. https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/59646
Urošević, Nataša, et al. "Heritage Management and Sustainable Tourism: A Systematic Literature Review." Encyclopedia. Web. 02 April, 2026.
Peer Reviewed
Heritage Management and Sustainable Tourism: A Systematic Literature Review
This is a peer-reviewed entry published in Encyclopedia Journal, full entry can be found at 10.3390/encyclopedia6040078

Cultural heritage, with its humanistic values, is seen as a tool for preserving historical memory and reinforcing cultural identity, while its socio-economic values have a significant impact on the tourism industry. However, the contemporary global context, characterized by rapid and often unsustainable development, has intensified challenges such as tourism massification, urbanization, and climate change. To address these challenges, the authors assume that contemporary society should find a balanced development model in which heritage management becomes an integrated part of sustainable tourism practices. Although the relationship between heritage, tourism, and sustainability has been extensively explored for more than four decades, existing research remains fragmented and lacks an integrated conceptual framework that systematically explains the interconnections between sustainable tourism and heritage management. Therefore, the main goal of this paper is to develop a conceptual framework and conduct a comprehensive literature review that synthesizes these processes, contributing to the existing body of knowledge and addressing identified research gaps. The conducted research indicates that contemporary approaches should enhance integrated heritage management plans, effective visitor management strategies, carrying capacity assessments, and continuous monitoring of tourism impacts. In this context, sustainable tourism and heritage management represent a coordinated process of planning and governance aimed at ensuring the long-term conservation of cultural and natural heritage resources while enabling responsible tourism development. By reviewing and synthesizing existing literature, this paper contributes to the theoretical advancement of sustainable tourism and heritage management studies through the development of an integrated conceptual framework that addresses existing research gaps and incorporates contemporary academic insights.

cultural values heritage management sustainable tourism conceptual framework
The Digital Era of global connectivity is marked by turbulent transformations and tensions between modernization processes and the preservation of tradition. As the most intimate elements of human culture; identity, tradition, and heritage, are increasingly challenged, this paper emphasizes the importance of the strategic and sustainable use of valuable and limited cultural resources.
Cultural heritage, considering its humanistic and socio-economic values, has a great impact on the economic, social, and cultural development of tourist destinations as well as environmental protection [1][2]. However, the contemporary global context, in which neoliberal economic models are characterized by the aggressive and unsustainable exploitation of resources, has intensified challenges such as tourism massification, urbanization, and climate change [3]. These processes contribute to overtourism, gentrification, the physical degradation of heritage sites, loss of authenticity, inadequate governance structures, and insufficient coordination among stakeholders, placing unique cultural heritage assets at increasing risk.
Heritage and tourism have multiple and dynamic interrelations, but the current issues have dramatically accelerated the tourism heritagization process and contributed to a new “heritage regime”, placing heritage as a driver in achieving sustainable goals, social justice and guaranteeing local communities well-being [4]. A long-standing issue is also the tension between the intrinsic and extrinsic values of cultural heritage, often resulting in conflicts between conservation objectives and heritage commodification [5]. Therefore, strategic policies and frameworks should prioritize the sustainable use of limited and valuable cultural and natural resources, thereby transforming local destinations into highly desirable and attractive places to live, work, visit, and invest in [6]. In this context, cultural heritage management aligns with sustainable tourism development, ensuring that heritage resources are protected, interpreted, and utilized in ways that generate long-term social, cultural, economic, and environmental benefits for local communities.
Although the relationship between heritage, tourism, and sustainability has been extensively explored for more than four decades [7][8][9][10], existing research remains fragmented and lacks an integrated conceptual framework that systematically explains the interconnections between sustainable tourism and heritage management. The main goal of this paper is to develop a conceptual framework through a systematic literature review (SLR) based on the PRISMA method. The authors assume that contemporary society should find a balanced development model in which heritage management becomes an integrated part of sustainable tourism practices.

References

  1. Timothy, D.J. Contemporary Cultural Heritage and Tourism: Development Issues and Emerging Trends. Public Archaeol. 2014, 13, 30–47.
  2. Šmid Hribar, M.; Bole, D.; Pipan, P. Sustainable Heritage Management: Social, Economic and Other Potentials of Culture in Local Development. Procedia-Soc. Behav. Sci. 2015, 188, 103–110.
  3. Milano, C.; Novelli, M.; Cheer, J.M. Overtourism and Tourismphobia: A Journey Through Four Decades of Tourism Development, Planning and Local Concerns. Tour. Plan. Dev. 2019, 16, 353–357.
  4. Gravari-Barbas, M. Heritage and tourism: From opposition to coproduction. In A Research Agenda for Heritage Tourism; Grabari-Barbas, M., Ed.; Edward Elgar Publishing: Cheltenham, UK, 2020.
  5. McKercher, B.; du Cros, H. Cultural Tourism: The Partnership Between Tourism and Cultural Heritage Management; Routledge: New York, NY, USA; London, UK, 2002.
  6. Urošević, N.; Afrić Rakitovac, K. Models of Valorisation of Cultural Heritage in Sustainable Tourism; Juraj Dobrila University of Pula: Pula, Croatia, 2017.
  7. Robinson, M.; Picard, D. Tourism, Culture and Sustainable Development; UNESCO: Paris, France, 2006.
  8. Loulanski, T.; Loulanski, V. The sustainable integration of cultural heritage and tourism: A meta-study. J. Sustain. Tour. 2011, 19, 837–862.
  9. Jelinčić, D.A. Indicators for Cultural and Creative Industries’ Impact Assessment on Cultural Heritage and Tourism. Sustainability 2021, 13, 7732.
  10. Pai, C.H.; Zhang, Y.; Wang, Y.L.; Li, K.; Shang, Y. Current challenges and opportunities in cultural heritage preservation through sustainable tourism practices. Curr. Issues Tour. 2025, 29, 1016–1034.
More
© Text is available under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.
Upload a video for this entry
Information
Subjects: Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism
Contributors MDPI registered users' name will be linked to their SciProfiles pages. To register with us, please refer to https://encyclopedia.pub/register : Nataša Urošević , Kristina Afrić Rakitovac , Matteo Legović
View Times: 18
Reprint: Encyclopedia of Social Sciences
Online Date: 02 Apr 2026
Table of Contents
    Notice
    You are not a member of the advisory board for this topic. If you want to update advisory board member profile, please contact office@encyclopedia.pub.
    OK
    Confirm
    Only members of the Encyclopedia advisory board for this topic are allowed to note entries. Would you like to become an advisory board member of the Encyclopedia?
    Yes
    No
    ${ textCharacter }/${ maxCharacter }
    Submit
    Cancel
    There is no comment~
    ${ textCharacter }/${ maxCharacter }
    Submit
    Cancel
    ${ selectedItem.replyTextCharacter }/${ selectedItem.replyMaxCharacter }
    Submit
    Cancel
    Confirm
    Are you sure to Delete?
    Yes No
    Academic Video Service
    Feedback