Cultural heritage as an engine of sustainable development in the tourism sector

The term "heritage" seems to have different meanings. Hewison (The heritage industry: Britain in a climate of decline. Methuen, 1987) states that heritage is derived from past images of history transmitted into current reality. Park (Annals of Tourism Research 37:116–135, 2010) describes heritage as an essential part of national representation and linked it to symbolic foundations of the nationhood process and identity. However, heritage is not only a tangible representation of the past, as intangible heritage also plays a role by manifesting diverse symbolic meanings and spiritual embodiments (Park, Annals of Tourism Research 37:116–135, 2010). At the same time, cultural tourism refers to a segment of the tourism industry that places special focus on heritage and cultural attraction (Remoaldo et al., Tourism and Hospitality Research 14:206–218, 2014).