Abstract:
Cultural and heritage tourism play a vital role in preserving historical and
cultural assets while contributing to socio-economic development. Sustainable
tourism practices aim to build socio-cultural individuality, promote
infrastructural expansion, and enhance economic activities through valueadded
revenue streams for local goods and services. This study explores the
emerging themes of sustainability in cultural and heritage tourism, addressing
key challenges, trends, and innovative practices that contribute to the long-term
preservation and responsible management of cultural sites. While several
studies have examined sustainability in tourism broadly, a notable research gap
remains in understanding sustainability within the specific context of cultural
tourism. A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted by the Preferred
Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA)
guidelines to identify and synthesise existing research on sustainable cultural
tourism. Nineteen peer-reviewed articles (2009–2025) from Emerald,
ScienceDirect, and ResearchGate were reviewed to ensure credible and rigorous
findings. The review highlights critical themes, including cultural parks,
architectural preservation, and recreation of cultural events, integrating
principles of sustainability in cultural tourism policies, arts tourism, and film
tourism Furthermore, effective management strategies, such as integrated
tourism planning and conservation committees, were identified as essential for
balancing preservation with tourism growth. Findings emphasise the need for
further research to define sustainability parameters in cultural tourism,
ensuring that tourism development aligns with heritage conservation goals
while benefiting local communities. The study contributes to the ongoing
discourse on sustainable cultural tourism, providing insights for policymakers,
researchers, local communities, and industry practitioners to develop more
responsible and sustainable tourism frameworks.
