The Sustainability Question in Heritage Tourism Development in Africa

Sustainability as a construct is complex and, when applied to heritage tourism, integrates social, economic, environmental, and managerial elements. The implementation of policies to promote these aspects of sustainability can often be problematic in contexts where decision-making occurs in a hierarchical governance mode with multiple stakeholders. This is a common concern in heritage tourism management globally and is visible across the African continent, albeit in different forms dependent on local systems. The challenge of sustainability is complicated in the overlapping, yet often incompatible demands of heritage management practices and tourism development at heritage sites. Therefore, in order to provide an in-depth look at sustainability from a variety of heritage and geographic contexts, this chapter will provide brief analyses of sustainability issues of heritage tourism in three different contexts across the continent: Morocco, Ghana, and Tanzania. Drawing on key issues from these three case studies, this chapter will explore the sustainability challenges in the management and use of cultural heritage in tourism development in Africa.