Sustainable Futures for Cultural and Heritage Tourism: A Review of Emerging Themes.

Abstract

Cultural and heritage tourism play a vital role in preserving historical and cultural assets while contributing to socio-economic development. Sustainable tourism practices aim to build socio-cultural individuality, promote infrastructural expansion, and enhance economic activities through valueadded revenue streams for local goods and services. This study explores the emerging themes of sustainability in cultural and heritage tourism, addressing key challenges, trends, and innovative practices that contribute to the long-term preservation and responsible management of cultural sites. While several studies have examined sustainability in tourism broadly, a notable research gap remains in understanding sustainability within the specific context of cultural tourism. A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines to identify and synthesise existing research on sustainable cultural tourism. Nineteen peer-reviewed articles (2009–2025) from Emerald, ScienceDirect, and ResearchGate were reviewed to ensure credible and rigorous findings. The review highlights critical themes, including cultural parks, architectural preservation, and recreation of cultural events, integrating principles of sustainability in cultural tourism policies, arts tourism, and film tourism Furthermore, effective management strategies, such as integrated tourism planning and conservation committees, were identified as essential for balancing preservation with tourism growth. Findings emphasise the need for further research to define sustainability parameters in cultural tourism, ensuring that tourism development aligns with heritage conservation goals while benefiting local communities. The study contributes to the ongoing discourse on sustainable cultural tourism, providing insights for policymakers, researchers, local communities, and industry practitioners to develop more responsible and sustainable tourism frameworks.