Tourism in heritage landscapes and at world heritage sites: Impact on communities

Project Description

One of the best known ways to protect significant sites and landscapes is their legal designation as heritage landscapes, special areas of conservation or World Heritage Sites.  Yet however well-intentioned professionals are such status can be a double-edged sword for communities in protected zones, not unconcerned with their cultural roots but trying to survive.  The potentially negative impacts of heritage tourism development on archaeological sites are widely recognised and there is a growing discussion on impacts on communities living in the vicinity of such sites, who are often dependent on tourism for their livelihoods or have other connections to the sites e.g. as part of Indigenous culture.

This project began in the 1990s with a study of the effects of the tourist industry at one of Ireland’s World Heritage Sites at the bend in the River Boyne on Ireland’s east coast.  Following World Heritage site status in 1993, a new multi-million pound interpretative centre was opened in 1997, both of which have led to an increase in the market value of the sites and greater visitor numbers over an extended season.  This heritage tourism development has also had unplanned, negative consequences for the local rural community who reported that they were not adequately consulted.  Today there are continuing reports of economic and other difficulties this development has brought to local people. 

Figure 2: Signposts for the visitor centre have been a point of contention between local people and the state.  Photo: M.Ronayne

The continuing impact of World Heritage and other heritage landscape designations on communities and their heritage is the subject of this project.  For example, currently World Heritage Site status is being proposed for both Tara’s landscape in Ireland and the Tigris valley in Turkey despite ongoing development within those areas.  This has potentially serious implications regarding precedents for permissible yet destructive development within World Heritage Sites globally.  In both cases communities have not been adequately consulted about these proposals.  The project aims to contribute evidence to support community concerns and protect heritage.

Contact Details

Maggie Ronayne ( Profile)
Department of Archaeology
School of Geography and Archaeology
NUI Galway

Tel: +353 (0)91 493701
maggie.ronaynenuigalway.ie

Project Publications

Selected Publications 

• 2009. Commitment, Objectivity and Accountability to Communities: Priorities for 21 ^st Century Archaeology. Conservation and Management of Archaeological Sites 10 (4), 367-381.  Published by Maney at www.ingentaconnect.com/content/maney. ( Article in PDF Format - 101.27KB)
• 2001. The Political Economy of Landscape: Conflict and Value in a Prehistoric Landscape in Ireland. In B. Bender and M. Winer (eds.), Contested Landscapes: Movement, Exile and Place, 149-164. Oxford and New York: Berg.
• 2000. Sustainable Stonehenge: Sustainable for What? Rescue News 80, 5-6.

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