Panel flags sustainability risks in heritage tourism push

Kochi / January 7, 2026

Kochi, Jan. 07: A panel discussion on “Heritage Tourism: Question of Sustainability” during the three-day International Spice Routes Conference brought together policymakers and sector experts to examine the economic, ecological, and social consequences of contemporary tourism models, with a strong emphasis on long-term planning and community-centred approaches.

The session was moderated by Shri Sharon V, Managing Director, Muziris Projects Ltd.

Setting the tone, Dr. Dileep MR, Director, KITTS, pointed to the scale and direction of global tourism spending, warning that many countries are investing vast sums in projects that are poorly aligned with their socio-economic contexts. He noted that Saudi Arabia, for example, is channeling enormous resources into nature-led, isolated tourism models inspired by destinations such as the Maldives, while also reportedly investing hundreds of millions of dollars in ventures like space tourism.

“These investments certainly reflect a long-term vision,” Dileep MR said, “but they also raise urgent questions about sustainability.” He cautioned against the uncritical promotion of tourism as an economic panacea, arguing that historical evidence paints a far more complex picture. While tourism is often justified on the grounds of job creation, infrastructure development, and foreign exchange earnings, unregulated expansion, he said, frequently leads to inflation, economic vulnerability, deepening inequality, and resistance from local communities.

“Without careful planning and sustainability,” he warned, “tourism-led development risks undermining the very societies it claims to benefit.”

Dr. Venugopal, Scientific Counsellor, ICOMOS, focused on disaster management and heritage preservation, particularly in the context of Kerala’s repeated encounters with floods, landslides, and other climate-linked disasters. He argued that heritage sites and historic settlements are especially vulnerable to such events and cannot be protected through engineering solutions alone.

Dr. Venugopal advocated the integration of traditional knowledge systems into modern disaster risk reduction strategies and policy instruments.

A broader historical and conceptual shift within the sector was outlined by Shri Manoj Kumar Kini, Director, KTIL, who observed that heritage tourism has undergone a quiet

but significant transformation in recent decades. What once revolved largely around monumental sites and iconic landmarks has expanded into a more nuanced understanding of sustainability, inclusion, and lived culture.

“Inclusive strategies now seek to acknowledge diverse narratives and challenge long-standing hierarchies,” Shri Kini said, “placing local communities at the centre of heritage management rather than treating them as passive backdrops to the tourist experience.”

Looking ahead, he argued that the future of heritage tourism will be shaped by a convergence of rising consumer awareness, technological integration, and the pressing realities of climate change. Digital tools such as online booking systems and data-driven visitor management, he noted, are enabling more balanced and authentic forms of engagement with heritage.

At the same time, personalization is redefining the tourist not merely as a consumer but as a co-creator of experiences. “Tourists are increasingly designing journeys aligned with their individual values,” Manoj Kumar Kini said. “Together, these shifts point towards a model of heritage tourism that is resilient, participatory, and ethically grounded.”

The discussion underscored a shared concern among the panelists that heritage tourism, if it is to remain viable, must move beyond spectacle and scale, and instead be rooted in sustainability, community participation, and respect for both cultural and ecological limits.

Ends