The process of managing heritage assets in a way that sustains, preserves, and, in some cases, enhances its significance.
Published in Chapter:
Perspectives on Community Involvement in the Revitalisation of Cultural and Natural Heritage for Sustainable Tourism: A Case of an Island in Hong Kong
Dora Agapito (Faculty of Economics and Research Centre for Tourism, Sustainability, and Well-Being (CinTurs), University of Algarve, Portugal) and Chung-Shing Chan (Department of Geography and Resource Management, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong)
Copyright: © 2020
|Pages: 25
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-7998-3156-3.ch006
Abstract
This chapter explores how local community involvement contributed to reviving cultural and natural heritage as assets for sustaining tourism on a small offshore island in Hong Kong. Yim Tin Tsai is a village established by the Hakka Chan clan and the main economic activity was salt production in the past. After the village became deserted due to villagers' migration, the existing salt fields were revived by the community. This process has increased the interest of visitors to travel to the village to experience the cultural, religious, and natural heritage of the destination. This case study combines in loco observations, interviews with key stakeholders on the island, and consultation of secondary sources. Opportunities and challenges regarding community involvement in tourism and its contribution to the conservation of tangible and intangible heritage assets of this offshore island are discussed.