When we think about cultural heritage, we often think of art (paintings, drawings, prints, mosaics, sculptures), historic buildings and monuments, and archaeological sites. However, the concept of cultural heritage is much wider than that, and encompasses both tangible and intangible aspects of a society’s history and identity. It includes social customs, traditions and practices that characterize and identify a particular society. It also encompasses a sense of place that is unique to that society.
A nation or community’s culture is important to its identity, and should be preserved for future generations. Unfortunately, this is not always the case, and cultural heritage is under threat, whether it is due to lack of funding; environmental factors (such as climate change); or conflict and disasters. The loss of cultural heritage can have a profound impact on a society, and it is important that we do everything we can to preserve it.
In the world of tourism, cultural heritage is defined as “the legacy of physical and intangible attributes of a society inherited from past generations.” Typically, this refers to artifacts such as works of art, architecture, music, archaeological and historical artifacts, as well as cultural traditions and social customs, and it includes places that are considered historically or architecturally significant. Despite the fact that cultural heritage is usually thought of as the property of a single nation, it is not necessarily so, as there are many examples of cross-cultural influences and interactions in both the tangible and intangible elements of a culture.
The main challenge of preserving cultural heritage is the fact that the culture is not a static entity, but is constantly evolving. As such, it needs to be continuously preserved and promoted in order to survive. This is a challenge that requires not only an understanding of the culture, but also the willingness of the people to actively participate in its preservation and promotion.
Another issue related to preserving cultural heritage is that the local communities sometimes do not see it as important, and may even perceive it as a barrier to their accessing “modern society” and economic wealth. This attitude can lead to the loss of the cultural heritage, as the locals do not care about it and do not protect it from potential damage.
A solution to this problem may be found in new alternative approaches that recognize the importance of preserving vital and living elements of a culture, and encourage them to develop positive attitudes towards its conservation. These include improving the perception of leaders toward the protection of their nation’s cultural heritage, enhancing funding possibilities and paving the way for a meaningful participation of stakeholders in its conservation. It can be further improved by including the heritage in the school curriculum, and providing education on it to children at a young age. This will make the students aware of the value and importance of preserving their own heritage. Further, it will foster respect and appreciation for the diversity of human creativity.