Sustainable Tourism and Heritage Management

Dear Colleagues,

We invite submissions to this Special Issue, entitled “Sustainable Tourism and Heritage Management”, which addresses a critically important juncture in contemporary urban and cultural studies.

The relationship between tourism development and effective heritage stewardship is increasingly complex, often leading to tension and conflict. While tourism provides essential economic resources for the maintenance and conservation of cultural and natural sites, poorly managed tourism threatens the very resources it relies upon. In an era defined by rapid global change, including climate crisis, post-pandemic recovery, and technological disruption, ensuring the long-term viability of heritage places demands innovative, interdisciplinary solutions. This Special Issue highlights the scientific need to move beyond simple economic assessment to fully integrate environmental preservation, social equity, and cultural integrity into heritage management strategies, enabling communities to embrace and create value through these tourism products. We seek research that explores how global trends are influencing the governance and viability of places designated as heritage, so that local sustainability efforts are managed, preserved, and maintained.

This Special Issue will critically examine the complex, dynamic, and vital relationship between Sustainable Tourism and Heritage Management. It will consolidate cutting-edge research that proposes and evaluates new theoretical frameworks, policy instruments, and management practices designed to achieve balance between the preservation needs of heritage assets and the demands of the global tourism market.

This Special Issue aligns perfectly with the scope of “Heritage”, which covers the protection, conservation, and valorization of heritage. By prioritizing sustainable tourism, this Special Issue specifically addresses the management challenges, social implications, and policy solutions necessary for the long-term protection and meaningful interpretation of both tangible and intangible cultural and natural heritage assets across the globe. It will together high-quality articles that offer deep insights into how heritage can be responsibly sustained.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Innovative governance models for heritage tourism, including community-led initiatives and public-private partnerships (PPPs);
• The role of digital heritage and technology (e.g. AI, VR, AR, and data analytics) in enhancing site interpretation, monitoring capacity, and promoting responsible visitor behavior;
• Assessing and mitigating the socio-environmental impacts of tourism on cultural landscapes, tangible assets, and intangible cultural heritage;
• Developing and evaluating indicators and metrics for tourism sustainability and resilience in heritage destinations;
• Comparative case studies on successful and challenging heritage management strategies across different geographical and cultural contexts;
• The influence of global crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, on the governance and economic models of heritage sites;
• Local community tourism and community development efforts to produce and maintain local heritage resources;
• The intersection of heritage commodification, place identity, and urban gentrification in historic tourism destinations.

We look forward to receiving your contributions. 

Dr. Takamitsu Jimura
Dr. Nicholas Wise
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Heritage is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• sustainable tourism
• heritage management
• cultural heritage
• community engagement
• tourism fovernance
• overtourism
• digital heritage
• resilience
• socio-environmental impacts
• place identity
• policy analysis
• commodification