CC BY
1SUSTAINABILITY OF CULTURAL HERITAGE TOURISM OF TAXILA WORLD
HERITAGE SITE 1Dur e Shahwar, 2Muhammad Sohaib Khaliq https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11099265
Abstract. The cultural heritage sites have continued to remain popular in that they have the potential of adding value toward the strengthening of the local economy and also creating awareness for the visitors on the historical legacies. The paper undertakes the investigation to consider the possibility of the sustainability of the cultural heritage of tourism at Taxila, one of the prominent sites of UNESCO World Heritage in Pakistan, distinguished due to its enormous value in archeological and history up to Neolithic times. This study would like to shed light on the understanding of how cultural heritage tourism may be effectively managed to contribute towards economical, conservation, and educational benefits in consideration of the intricate relationship between tourism development and heritage preservation.
The approach taken was essentially quantitatively in nature, and a structured questionnaire was administered to 500 respondents, including visitors and students, within the area under study, to obtain their perceptions toward heritage conservation and the effects that come with it. This approach gauged community involvement and the effectiveness of sustainable tourism practices in Taxila.
The results indicated robust interest in and appreciation of the heritage sites but also flagged down major challenges for consideration. Most importantly, the findings point to disjuncture between what is perceived and what literally takes place in light of tourism benefits. That is, tourism is perceived to have a positive force in culture and economy; however, sustainability execution is sporadic on the ground.
Therefore, in light of the above, this research underscores the integrated management strategies that may bridge local community interests with sustainable tourism objectives for the longevity and integrity of heritage sites such as Taxila. For the success of these objectives, there is high need felt in this paper for stepping up educational outreach, infrastructure improvement, and development of a collaborative governance model. Thus, the paper recommends that the holistic approach to managing cultural heritage tourism can be replicated as a model for similar sites in the world.
Keywords: Sustainability, Cultural Heritage Tourism,, Taxila Valley, World Heritage Site.
Introduction
Tourism is an activity mostly for pleasure to outside usual environment (Fennell, 2018). "Tourism comprises the activities of persons traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes. UNWTO. Though, there are different types of tourism and tourists. Throughout the world not only for the purpose of recreation, pleasure but also to know about the lost cultural activities, to learn about hidden thoughts or life style of people who lived in past (Park & Ahn, 2022). People visit cultural heritage sites to understand the way of life of the people who lived in caves, shelters with limited facilities. This also aims to understand how they emerged, developed with their struggle and made their lives better than those who lived before them (Fennell, 2018; Park & Ahn, 2022). Cultural heritage of a country is the source that is inherited from the ancient people.
Heritage tourism in all developed, under-developed and developing countries play a vital role for their GDP growth (Pedak, 2018). Amongst the various tourism types, the heritage tourism
is beneficial which not only crops economic & employment opportunities for the country and their people but also for the local community of an area and sense of conservation among them for sustainable development. Tourism to cultural and heritage sites and activities is mostly driven by elements such as culture and heritage (Petronela, 2016). Current world tourists have become more and more interested in these aspects of tourism (Groizard & Santana-Gallego, 2018; Meretu et al., 2023; Panzera et al., 2021). The general public's higher levels of education, media representations (particularly social media) of global heritage and cultural themes like monuments, tangible heritage sites, and special events, the status symbol value of heritage tourism, and travelers' growing desire to combine vacation with education are some of the possible explanations for the continued growth of heritage and cultural tourism (Gao & Su, 2019; Groizard & Santana-Gallego, 2018).
A growing number of people believe that tourism can help preserve nature and culture; its contributions should benefit the host community and give its residents substantial resources and motivation to preserve and care for their heritage (Vecco & Srakar, 2018). The utilization of the idea of Sustainability as a connecting thread between these two domains in terms of planning and management is referred to as the strategic alliance between culture and tourism (Dwyer, 2023; Nocca, 2017). This study supports the idea of sustainable cultural heritage tourism, which is based on this broad idea and is thought to provide a theoretical and practical foundation for the sustainable use of cultural assets. This study aims to explore the intricate relationship between cultural heritage tourism and sustainability, particularly focusing on the Taxila Valley—a region celebrated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a nexus of ancient civilizations. This study is pivotal in understanding the multifaceted interactions among the local community, government, and various stakeholders, assessing how these groups collectively contribute to preserving the cultural and historical integrity of Taxila while fostering sustainable tourism practices. Also, this paper contributes to filling this critical gap by analyzing the implementation of heritage for development, conservation and local community perception & contribution towards sustainable heritage tourism
Reseach questions:
• How effective is the implementation of heritage conservation practices in Taxila Valley, and what percentage of the local community actively participates in these initiatives?
• To what extent do sustainable tourism practices influence the commercial development and involvement the local community in Taxila Valley, and how do local perceptions of these practices correlate with actual Sustainable outcomes?
Literature Review
Cultural Heritage Tourism and Sustainability
Culture is considered as the product of group or individual activities to which certain meanings are attached. Thus we might try and to find out various types of cultures reflecting the way in which various groups live in, use and reproduce urban space (Baloch et al., 2023). Culture role in mediating our sagacity of the natural environment can be gaugd from the assorted notion of nature in distinct cultures. According to meaning of nature in westen, has narrowed over time, from whole embracing term to a particular description of wilderness and countryside (Amir et al., 2015; Parga Dans & Alonso González, 2019). There is no separation between culture and nature, in traditional cultures.
The product approaches to culture tend not to overspread. However, in tourism field, there has been a certain degree of integration between the 2 terms. Culture as process is the goal of visistors seeking accutacy and meaning through their tourist experiences (e.g. United Cities and Local Governments (De Luca et al., 2020). However, the rural way of life as a cultural process is converted into a product for visitor consumption, so that elements of the living culture become cultural attractions in the same way as physical objects such as buildings, landscapes and monoments known Heritage. As process and product get embeded through tourism, so the scope of cultural tourism has widened, to take in aspects of the way of life of a particular people or region, and the cultural tourist becomes more than simply a visitor of attractions (Roslan et al., 2021).
Cultural tourism deals several profits to sightseers and inhabitants, as well as governments. First of all, heritage tourism defends historic, cultural, and natural resources in societies, towns and cities (Mateoc-Sirb et al., 2022). People come to be involved in their community when they can share their personal, family, community, regional, or national heritage. Cultural and heritage sight-seeing is an area of tourism that comprises the travelling skills of natural , historical and cultural resources that reflect the realistic stories and facts linked to the people from present and past. The sightseeing sector involved with the cultural and heritage values gives the visitors a particular number of occasions to understand an unaware place, time and people. The significance of the heritage value increases with the arrival of people to that area which in turn has created novel opportunities for protection of the places (Labadi & Gould, 2015)
Heritage is our legacy from all historical periods that we live with today and what we pass on to future generations," said the UNESCO World Heritage Center (Qureshi et al., 2017). They serve as our pillars of support, references, and sense of self. The creative or symbolic resources that are passed down to each civilization and, by extension, to humanity from generation to generation are referred to as cultural heritage. It contributes to the distinctive characteristics of each place and serves as a repository for human experience, enhancing and affirming cultural identities. Heritage is founded on inheritance and inherited resources, but it also includes representations or reinterpretations of the past in addition to the actual history (Alhowaish, 2016).
Tourism increasingly serves as a critical economic lifeline, often used as a last-resort strategy to rejuvenate local economies when another options falter (du Cros et al., 2005). Contemporary trends lean towards 'green' tourism, ecotourism, sports tourism, health tourism, and wildlife tourism and sustainable tourism, reflecting a growing sensitivity towards people and places. However, these segments still do not fully meet the scale and complexity of modern demands compared to cultural tourism (Sharpley, 2020). Today, there is a broader appreciation for everyday cultural landscapes—beyond just monuments—which authentically represent the lives of ordinary people within the global heritage tourism movement. Most previously unknown locations have become increasingly popular because of foreign visitations. Several other types of heritage tourism include the persistent diaspora travel to ancestral homes; a common practice in many cultures worldwide (Choi & Sirakaya, 2006).
Thus, The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) defines sustainable cultural heritage tourism as an activity where the primary motivation is to engage with both tangible and intangible cultural attractions at a destination, aiming to learn, discover, and experience (Alexandrakis et al., 2019). It includes all aspects that signify the comprehensive and characteristic ways of life of a community, past and present, with implications for the future (UNWTO, 2018). Despite often being unplanned and poorly regulated in developing countries, it
plays a crucial role in heritage conservation and offers numerous benefits including job creation, poverty alleviation, reducing rural exodus, and boosting community pride (UNWTO, 2012). Additionally, issues such as lack of accessibility, limited local community participation in decision-making, and poor governance significantly impact the sustainability and integrity of heritage sites (Sofield & Li, 2012). These factors prevent a holistic approach to heritage conservation that supports sustainability, often leading to projects that do not fully align with the needs or values of the local community (Alexandrakis et al., 2019).
Approach towards Sustainability
Despite this shift, culture and heritage of global developmental challenges by 2015. Fifteen years later, the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted as a plan of action addressing the three dimensions of sustainable development - economic, social, and environmental UNWTO. Concerns for sustainability and management procedures that contribute to it are of serious importance for cultural heritage sightseeing. Heritage management is a comparatively new theory, and on many events, it has been used to maximize the usage of heritage locations for sight-seeing purposes (Aung, 2019; Okumus & Erdogan, 2021). The idea of heritage as an intricate and continually evolving entity. Still, heritage has been recognized as a cultural process with mankind at its core. It is a technique that has always been with people who yield it according to their up-to-date concerns, needs and expressions(Sharpley, 2009). The use of the concept of sustainability in a actual comprehensive variety of frameworks in planning, conservation, management and local community involvement, decision making and accessibility has been, during the past few decades, and continues to be chaotic and often ineffective and inefficient (Khan et al., 2020). It has been blemished by indiscriminating, conversational simplification and the institutionalization of conducts of thinking and acting, favoring recognized performs (Adams, 2010). Meanwhile, relevant scientific and institutional premises and precepts have multiplied, aiming at increasing and improving sustainability's practical adaptability and ways of implementation. Culture heritage the highest-level, most deeply ingrained and most stable system of reference in human life, has been increasingly acknowledged as an indispensable basis of all spatial analysis (Silva & Henriques, 2021).
Source: Author creation
The diagram illustrates the intricate relationship between cultural heritage and sustainability, particularly focusing on how sustainability practices intersect with heritage tourism and the dynamics of demand and supply involving various stakeholders. Cultural heritage holds
significant importance for both a country's identity and its local economy. Sustainability practices, encompassing economic, social, cultural, and environmental aspects, are crucial for ensuring equality and fostering holistic development. Using Taxila heritage as an evidence, a renowned World Heritage site, it becomes evident that effective management, conservation efforts, and governance policies are imperative for achieving sustainability goals and attracting more tourists.
Taxila Valley & Heritage sites
Taxila, which claims to be one of the sub-continent's oldest continuously inhabited cities This is a rich tapestry of history that stretches back into the Neolithic period around the mid-4th millennium BC. It was in the year 1980 when it has secured its place in the list of World Heritage under UNESCO, celebrated for its deep cultural significance and historical value. Located in Pakistan, Taxila stays a witness to the ancient Gandharan civilization and forms a very important center for Buddhism and centers of learning.
It was until nearly 1000 CE a cultural and commercial crossroad of a variety of cultures; e.g., Achaemenid, Greek, Mauryan, among others. The valley of Taxila reached great significance, and the unearthing pointed towards it functioning during the Harappan phase about 3100-2500 BC. Excavations in sites like Sari Kala and Jhang have shown how Taxila integrates the development of the Harappan civilization, with some similarities in stone technology and ceramic art found over a large area from the Gomal valley to Sindh Province (UNESCO World Heritage Centre, 2010e). The name 'Taxila,' based on the serpent-worshipping Takshakas of olden times, seems to give a clue to the city: Taksha-sila, meaning the hill capital of the Takshakas.
The spiritual heritage of Taxila is anchored on the Dharmarajika Stupa, located on the western side of the Margalla Hill, immediately adjacent to the Tamra-nala river, built in the 3rd century B.C. by the Mauryan emperor Asoka (Dani, 2010). Further archaeological studies, both from scholars and from the government, had shown that the city had a storied past with extended ruins that spanned three major cities built over different eras. The earliest, Bhir Mound dated to the 6th century BC, while the later towns of Sirkap and Sirsukh exhibited influences from the Greco-Bactrian and Kushan periods.
This area is strewn with several Buddhist stupas and monasteries that date to the 1st century and even to the 5th century AD. The most important ones around are Jaulian and Mohra Muradu. Today, Taxila is one of the tehsils in the Rawalpindi District, with an estimated population of about 151,000 as at the 1998 census. It is an industrial town with heavy machinery and ordnance factories but at the same time supports a pulsating tradition of cottage industries like stoneware and pottery. And at the same time, the Taxila Museum would keep on being the most favorite stop of the tourists coming to peep into the ancient history and culture of the region, thus protecting the rich Gandharan heritage of the area.
Taxila Valley layout
Taxila thus finds itself at a distinguished place in the international sphere since UNESCO declared it one of the Buddhist heritage sites in the year 1980. Taxila was, historically speaking, a noted center of learning in those days when subjects like Astronomy, Mathematics, Medicine, and grammars of Sanskrit and Prakrit were studied. Its strategic location at the intersection of various routes underlined its important historical role. Taxila in ancient times was a very important junction for three great trade routes: one from Hindustan and Eastern India, another from Western Asia, brought over by Bactria and Pushklavati, a third from Kashmir and Central Asia, passing through the Sirinagar valley and Baramula to Mansehra and then down the Haripur valley. These roads further developed as important trade routes for Indian, Central Asian, and West Asian
countries and have had a deep influence over time on the history of Taxila. The location of this archaeological site falls in the Punjab province of Pakistan, around 30 km to the north of Islamabad, the capital territory.
Source: Map of Taxila (Courtesy SRO Taxila)
Methodology
The methodology employed in this study adheres to a quantitative approach, utilizing a structured questionnaire containing a combination of open-ended and closed-ended questions. The primary aim of the questionnaire is to assess perceptions and attitudes surrounding heritage conservation, community involvement, participation, and accessibility, thereby enabling the measurement of sustainability within heritage sites (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). To achieve a comprehensive understanding, the questionnaire was distributed among a diverse sample pool comprising visitors to Taxila, Tourism students of different universities, and academia, totaling 500 individuals. Various channels were utilized for data collection, including in-person distribution, online platforms, and academic institutions, ensuring broad participation across different demographics. A commendable response rate was achieved, with 350 responses successfully collected (Evans & Marlow, 1986). Subsequent rigorous screening and validation procedures were implemented to filter out incomplete or irrelevant responses, resulting in a final dataset of 257 valid responses. The collected data underwent thorough analysis employing quantitative techniques such as descriptive statistics and inferential methods to derive meaningful insights and identify patterns related to heritage conservation and sustainability. Ethical considerations were paramount throughout the research process, with measures in place to ensure participant confidentiality, voluntary participation, and unbiased data collection. Despite efforts to maximize sample size and representativeness, certain limitations such as sample selection bias and response variability may impact the generalizability of the findings (Evans & Marlow, 1986). Nonetheless, the methodology provides a robust framework for investigating the sustainability of
heritage sites, offering valuable insights into the factors influencing heritage conservation and community engagement. This investigation, while aware of the numerous interpretations and types of sustainability, focuses primarily on the social, cultural, economic and environmental sustainability of heritage tourism in Taxila.
Data Analysis
Table Gender of the Respondents
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent
Female 125 48.6 48.6 48.6
Valid Male 132 51.4 51.4 100.0
Total 257 100.0 100.0
140
120
> 100
u
C 01 80
3
CT 60
01
M- 40
20
0
125
Gender of the Respondents 132
48,6
51,4
Frequency Percent
■ Female ■ Male
Gender of the respondents
Table shows the gender of the respondents/sample. Where out of 257 respondents 125 (48.6%) were female and 132 (51.4%) were male. Also depicted on the pie-diagram below
Age of the Respondents
27
23 23
24
t7*K9t
8 1,9 1,6 20,8 y
lü II II an a
18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
u Frequency u Percent
Age of the respondents
Table shows the age distribution of the sample. Out of 257 respondents there were different age groups—ranging from 18 to 40 years. However, the age group of 25 years represented the highest frequency i.e. 27 out of 257 or 10.5% and age group 40 with the lowest frequency i.e. 2 out of 257 or 0.8% of the sample size.
TYPE OF TOURIST RESPONDENTS ARE
■ Frequency ■ Percent
t 013 N
I. ll l N I
BUSINESS ADVENTURE ECOLOGICAL CULTURAL SPORTS
Table shows the frequency of respondents' interest in the place for the visit and future visits to archeological sites. In out of 257 respondents; 94 (36.6%) of the sample visited the place for cultural purposes with the highest frequency, 62 (24.1%) for fun and adventure, 51 (19.8%) for ecological purposes, 26 (10.1%) for sports and 24 (9.3%) for business purposes.
THE MAIN REASON FOR YOUR VISIT TO TEXILA
VALLEY
Frequency ■ Percent
00
I*
00
I
CO Oi Pn
O?
I ll
REST AND FUN,SPORTS AND BUSINESS REASON ATTENDING A CULTURAL OR
RELAXATION RECREATION CONFRENCE RELIGIOUS
PURPOSE AND OTHER FORM OF EDU
29
11,3
travel agency
Source of information about the place
68
61
23,7 26'5 23
I II I
8,9
internet, family, friends
newspapers, magazines
Frequency ■ Percent
TV documentary
76
studies/ Dept
Figure shows the source of information about the place. Academia/ Departmental activities is a major source of information i.e. 76 (29.6%) respondents came to know about the place because of their direct academic interest in archeological studies. 68 (26.5%) came to know about the place through newspapers and magazines, 61(23.7%) through internet, family and friends, 29 (11.3%) through travel agencies and 23(8.9%) through TV documentaries.
MOST INTERESTING SITE DURING TO VISIT TAXIL
■ Frequency ■ Percent
*H
I
I
PS
I
TAXILA MUSEUM
DHARMARAJIKA STUPA
JULIAN MONASTERY
BHAMALA/ MOHA MARADU SITE
Table shows the frequency of most interesting and attractive site in Taxila. According to 74(28.8%) it was the Julian monastery, to 70(27.2%) it was Taxila museum, to 51(19.8%) l Dharmarajika, to 35(13.6%) respondents it was Sirkarp and according to 25(10.5%) it was BhamalaMohaMaradu.
SIRKAP
THE QUALITY OF YOUR ACCOMMODATION.
■ Frequency ■ Percent
I
m m
I
fN
I
POOR
AVERAGE
GOOD
VERY GOOD
IÜ
EXCELLENT
Table shows the quality of accommodation during the stay at the site. A large chunk of the respondents i.e. 92(35.8%) were somehow satisfied with their accommodation service and marked it as an average facility while other 60(23.3%) termed it as good, for 43(16.7%) it was poor, for 41(16.0%) and 21(8.2%) it was very good and excellent respectively.
THE MOST CHALLENGING PROBLEM YOU FACED
DURING VISIT
■ Frequency ■ Percent
I
TRANSPORT
I
SECURITY
I
I
TOUR GUIDE
LOCAL COMMUNITY
OTHER
This table shows the frequency of the challenges and problems encountered in the visit. For 70(27.2%) interaction and interference of the local community during the visit was the main issue for 55(21.4%) transport was the main obstacle, for 54(21.0%) finding a tour guide and other 33(12.8%) encountered some other miscellaneous problems.
CURRENT CONDITIONS AND PRESERVATION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE SITE
■ Frequency ■ Percent
M
I
I
I
UD
m
I
POOR AVERAGE GOOD VERY GOOD EXCELLENT
This table shows the frequency of the current status and preservation and maintenance of the Taxila's archeological site. 68(26.5%) were very unsatisfied and referred the current conditions and maintenance and preservation efforts as poor, 59(23%) found it average, 50(19.5%) good, 44(17.1%) very good and 36(14.0%) found it excellent.
SITES CLEANLINESS
■ Frequency ■ Percent
00 m
II II I
POOR AVERAGE GOOD VERY GOOD EXCELLENT
Table shows the frequency of respondents 'opinion about the cleanliness condition of the sites. In out of 257 respondents; 98 (38.1%) of the sample categorized the cleanliness condition as average making the highest frequency, 68 (26.5%) claimed it as good, 24 (9.3%) claimed it to be very good while only 16(6.2%) claimed it to be excellent.
SIGNS BOARDS AND INFORMATION
■ Frequency ■ Percent
POOR AVERAGE GOOD VERY GOOD EXCELLENT
Table shows the quality of sign boards and information provided in the archeological site of Taxila. A large chunk of the respondents i.e.103 (40.1%) were somehow satisfied with the information provided and marked it as an average facility while other 58(22.6%) termed it as good, for 42(16.3%) it was poor, for 27(10.5%) it was very good and excellent respectively.
ACCESS TO SITES
■ Frequency ■ Percent
POOR AVERAGE GOOD VERY GOOD EXCELLENT
Table shows the frequency of the visitor's/students access to Taxila sites. About 75(29.2%) claimed the access to the sites as average facility while 71(27.6%) response was good. While only 33(12.8%) and 35(13.6%) responded as very good and excellent facility respectively. The above frequency is show as pie chart below.
BEHAVIOR AND PROFESSIONALISM OF COMMUNITY
AND GUIDERS.
■ Frequency ■ Percent
POOR AVERAGE GOOD VERY GOOD EXCELLENT
This table shows the behavior and professionalism of the taxila sites community and guiders. According to the sample 87 out of 257 (33.9%) behavior and professional skills as a guiders were average while 69(26.8%) skills were good, only 24(9.3%) were behavior was very good while 33(12.8) were reported as excellent behavior and professional skills.
AVAILABILITY OF GUIDERS
■ Frequency ■ Percent
POOR AVERAGE GOOD VERY GOOD EXCELLENT
The Figure shows the availability of guiders at Taxila Archeological site for guidance and information. According to the sample the response of 34 out of 256 (13.2%) was poor while 63(24.5%) reported the availability of guiders as average while the highest frequency was 83(32.3%) as good and 45(17.5%) reported the availability of guiders as very good while only 32(12.5%) of the sample reported the availability of guiders at the site as excellent.
CULTURAL TOURISM WILL BRING TO SOCIETY
■ Frequency ■ Percent
00
n
PUBLICIZING TAXILA/PAKISTAN PAST CULTURE AROUND THE WORLD
PROTECTION AND PRESERVATION OF CULTURE HARITAGE
POSITIVE ECONOMIC PROVIDE
IMPACTS/INFLUENCES SUSTAINABLE SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Table shows the frequency of respondents' who is agreed that cultural tourism will bring change society as different aspects. In out of 257 respondents; 64 (24.9%) of the sample visited the place and convey their ideas to choose that tourism will bring change like to conserve and protect our cultural heritage with the highest frequency, 64 (24.9%), 60 (23.3%) gave idea that through
tourism publicizing the Taxila's as well as Pakistan's ancient culture, 61 (23.7%) for positive
economic and influence over community 58(22.6%) of participant's idea for sustainable social development.
Proportion Testing &Binomial Tests of close ended questions
Binomial Test
Catego ry N Observ ed Prop. Test Prop. Exact Sig. (2-tailed)
Do you agree there is a social demand for development of cultural tourism in Taxila? Group 1 No 129 .50 .50 1.000
Group 2 Yes 128 .50
Total 257 1.00
The output tells us that there are two groups: Yes, and No. The column labeled N= 257, and there are 128 people who reported Yes that they would agree with the increasing social demand for development Taxila's heritage and 129 people who reported No that there is no social demand for development of these Taxila's Heritage sites. The Observed Prop. column gives the observed proportions (.53 = 129 / (129 + 128)).
Binomial Test
Category N Observed Test Exact Sig.
Prop. Prop. (2-tailed)
Does tourism policy andGroup 1 No 141 .55 .50 .134
strategy & master plan coverGroup 2 Yes 116 .45
OTHER..
tourism constrains related to jotaj 1 cultural heritage? | 257 1.00
The table shows that there are two groups of people who give responses Yes, and No. The column labeled N= 257and there were 116 people who reported Yes that they would agree with that the country policies/master plans for tourism is cover all that issues and problems which are relevant to these all-cultural Heritage and 141 people who reported No that there are no some special policies for issues related these Taxila's Heritage sites.
Binomial Test
Category N Observed Prop. Test Prop. Exact Sig. (2-tailed)
Do you agree withGroup 1 availability froup 2 opportunities in Taxila during trip to gain more knowledge about ourTotal past civilizations? No Yes 109 148 257 .42 .58 1.00 .50 .018
The output tells us that there are two groups: Yes, and No. The column labeled N= 257 and there were 148 people who reported Yes that they would agree with the availability of opportunities in Taxila, for gaining knowledge about our past civilizations and 109 people who reported No that there is No any type of knowledgeable opportunities in Taxila's heritage.
Binomial Test
Category N Observed Prop. Test Prop. Exact Sig. (2-tailed)
Is tourism beingGroup 1 effectively plannedGroup 2 and managed at Taxila Valley? Total No Yes 130 127 257 .51 .49 1.00 .50 .901
The output tells us that there are two groups: Yes, and No. The column labeled N= 257 and there were 127 people who reported "Yes" that they would agree with the and 130 people who reported "No" and agreed that in Pakistan and specially for Taxila cultural heritage tourism, and to promote, to make these heritage protect for future tourism and income, So majority are agreed with NO, population proportion is .51> test proportion. 50 and who are agreed and says "Yes" population proportion is less with .49.
Binomial Test
Category N Observed Test Exact Sig.
Prop. Prop. (2-tailed)
Is there is a well-Group 1 No 142 .55 .50 .105
managed tourismGroup 2 Yes 115 .45
product/packages/offer
related to culturaljotal 257 1.00
heritage on destination?
The output tells us that there are two groups: Yes, and No. The column labeled N= 257 and there were 115 people who reported "Yes" that they are agree witha well-established tourism product/offer related to cultural heritage in the country with population proportion is .45< Test proportion .50. And 142 people who reported "No"there is no any idea about tourist satisfaction,
and no any other tourism products, or tourist package for sustainable development of CH and which makes tourist satisfy with their tour to Taxila. Binomial Test
Category N Observed Prop. Test Prop. Exact Sig. (2-tailed)
Is Group 1 Environmental/SustainabQroup 2 ility Impact Assessment effectively applied toTotal tourism developments? No Yes 133 124 257 .52 .48 1.00 .50 .618
This table tells us that there are two groups: YES and NO. The column labeled N= 257 and that there were 133 people who reported "NO"with population proportion .52> test proportion .50, So that they are not agree with the Environmental/Sustainability Impact Assessment effectively applied to tourism developments and 124 people who reported "YES" with population proportion is .48 that means in Taxila have no idea about planning or evaluation for environmental impacts which influence over tourism and specially CH tourism.
Conclusion
This given research work on "Sustainability of the Cultural Heritage Tourism of Taxila World Heritage Site" encompasses detailed insights into the complex dynamics with heritage tourism and their sustainable management. Taxila provides a case to show how cultural heritage contributes to sustainable tourism practices, which are vital for the preservation of these sites.
The results of the study, therefore, strongly indicated that cultural heritage is a very important tool in attracting tourists, which will go a long way in supporting the economic development of the area given and the preservation of culture. Effective management and conservation are therefore highly important in making cultural sites sustainable. This involves the protection of not only the physical sites but the active involvement of the local community in processes of tourism development. Research highlights several essential areas for improvements:
Management and Governance: This would further be the need to strengthen governance structures around heritage sites for preservation to ensure that the realization of the benefits from tourism is equitably distributed.
Community Engagement: To further involve the local community in the planning and decision-making processes, which go a long way with tourism development, bearing in mind the needs and priorities of conservation.
Education and Awareness: Intense public awareness, through education on the essence of cultural preservation, will ensure feelings of ownership by the residents and the visiting tourists.
Infrastructure and Access: Betterment of infrastructure with the assurance of greater access to sites will be conducive to bettering visitor experience and satisfaction, hence allowing for repeated visitations, this meaning sustainable revenue inflows.
Monitoring and Evaluation: Have in place a strong mechanism for monitoring and evaluation in such a manner that will assist in the assessment of the impact the tourism activities pose on the cultural heritage sites and inform improvements to management practices continuously.
These will be the actionable suggestions for the policymakers, site managers, and the operators of tourism in order to make the sector of cultural heritage tourism of Taxila more sustainable. This varies from the formulation of management plans that will balance the strong
conservation emphasis with tourism development, training of local stakeholders on sustainable tourism practices, and promotion of the cultural heritage in Taxila within the country and abroad with the hope of enticing more diverse visitor compositions to the site. Conclusively, the only sustainable cultural heritage tourism in Taxila is an all-inclusive approach, effective management, active community involvement, and continual education and awareness programs. These efforts will not only protect the invaluable cultural heritage of Taxila but also ensure its sustainability for future generations. This study will, therefore, contribute comprehensively to the understanding of sustainable tourism practices at heritage sites and be able to come up with a framework that could be adopted by other heritage sites throughout the world.
Future Research and Limitations
While much of this study into the sustainability of cultural heritage tourism at the World Heritage Site of Taxila has been discussed in a great number of details, it is worthy to mention a few limitations, in that they can open the way to future research. One major limitation of this study is that it is anchored on quantitative data sourced from visitor surveys and local business reports. This approach, while valuable for understanding visitor flows and economic impacts, may not be entirely representative of local communities' perspectives in regard to their place and the site's tangible and especially intangible values. In addition, the ambit of this research is limited to a relatively short time horizon, and it may not do enough justice to long-term trends in sustainability and the fluctuating dynamics in global tourism.
Acknowledging the more integrative approach of both qualitative and quantitative means, future research needs to indulge itself in in-depth interviews with local stakeholders and probably introduce ethnographic studies for better understanding of sentiments at a local level and cultural implications of tourism. More than that, longitudinal studies can be made in the area of influence on the impacts of tourism over a long time, which will enable the assessment of sustainability in the long term and effective management strategies. Comparative analysis of sustainability practice between Taxila and other related heritage sites may further bring out certain unique challenges or innovative solutions for wider applicability in other contexts.
Besides, future research can be carried out, in line with the growing emphasis on digital engagement, to check the effect of virtual tourism and its sustainability for the heritage sites in such a way that it might enable to sustain a reduction in physical visitor pressure, and at the same time, the heritage sites offer educational and cultural value. This may include examining how the balance of digital and physical experiences of visitors articulates with sustainable management of tourism. It may inform improved practice and community engagement from an interaction with emerging technologies and the review of their role within heritage tourism to critique new possibilities for sustainability. It is here that future research will not only meet but also identify gaps and contribute toward the strengthening of how sites such as Taxila can be preserved for sustainable enjoyment by generations to come.
REFERENCES
1. Adams, J. L. (2010). Interrogating the equity principle: The rhetoric and reality of management planning for sustainable archaeological heritage tourism. Journal of Heritage Tourism, 5(2), 103-123. https://doi.org/10.1080/17438730903509311
2. Alexandrakis, G., Manasakis, C., & Kampanis, N. A. (2019). Economic and Societal Impacts on Cultural Heritage Sites, Resulting from Natural Effects and Climate Change. Heritage, 2(1), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage2010019
3. Alhowaish, A. K. (2016). Is Tourism Development a Sustainable Economic Growth Strategy in the Long Run? Evidence from GCC Countries. Sustainability, 8(7), Article 7. https://doi .org/10.3390/su8070605
4. Amir, S., Osman, M. M., Bachok, S., & Ibrahim, M. (2015). Sustaining Local Community Economy Through Tourism: Melaka UNESCO World Heritage City. Procedia Environmental Sciences, 28, 443-452. https://doi.org/10.1016Zj.proenv.2015.07.054
5. Aung, M. (2019). STRATEGIES TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE OF MYANMAR TOURISM GDP: CASE STUDY OF BAGAN TOURISM. International Journal on Recent Trends in Business and Tourism (IJRTBT), 3(1), Article 1. https://ejournal.lucp.net/index.php/ijrtbt/article/view/90
6. Baloch, Q. B., Shah, S. N., Iqbal, N., Sheeraz, M., Asadullah, M., Mahar, S., & Khan, A. U. (2023). Impact of tourism development upon environmental sustainability: A suggested framework for sustainable ecotourism. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 30(3), 5917-5930. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-22496-w
7. Choi, H. C., & Sirakaya, E. (2006). Sustainability indicators for managing community tourism. Tourism Management, 27(6), 1274-1289. https://doi .org/10.1016/j.tourman.2005.05.018
8. Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches (5th edition). SAGE Publications, Inc.
9. De Luca, G., Shirvani Dastgerdi, A., Francini, C., & Liberatore, G. (2020). Sustainable Cultural Heritage Planning and Management of Overtourism in Art Cities: Lessons from Atlas World Heritage. Sustainability, 72(9), Article 9. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12093929
10. du Cros, H., Bauer, T., Lo, C., & Rui, S. (2005). Cultural Heritage Assets in China as Sustainable Tourism Products: Case Studies of the Hutongs and the Huanghua Section of the Great Wall. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 73(2), 171-194. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669580508668484
11. Dwyer, L. (2023). Tourism development and sustainable well-being: A Beyond GDP perspective. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 37(10), 2399-2416. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2020.1825457
12. Evans, J. J., & Marlow, P. B. (1986). QUANTITATIVE METHODS. https://trid.trb.org/view/392730
13. Fennell, D. A. (2018). On tourism, pleasure and the summum bonum. Journal of Ecotourism, 77(4), 383-400. https://doi.org/10.1080/14724049.2018.1529180
14. Gao, Y., & Su, W. (2019). Is the World Heritage just a title for tourism? Annals of Tourism Research, 78, 102748. https://doi.org/10.10167j.annals.2019.102748
15. Groizard, J. L., & Santana-Gallego, M. (2018). The destruction of cultural heritage and international tourism: The case of the Arab countries. Journal of Cultural Heritage, 33, 285292. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.culher.2018.06.005
16. Khan, A., Bibi, S., Ardito, L., Lyu, J., Hayat, H., & Arif, A. M. (2020). Revisiting the Dynamics of Tourism, Economic Growth, and Environmental Pollutants in the Emerging Economies—Sustainable Tourism Policy Implications. Sustainability, 72(6), Article 6. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12062533
17. Labadi, S., & Gould, P. G. (2015). Sustainable Development. In Global Heritage (pp. 196216). John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781394261154.ch9
18. Mateoc-Sírb, N., Albu, S., Rujescu, C., Ciolac, R., Tigan, E., Brínzan, O., Mänescu, C., Mateoc, T., & Milin, I. A. (2022). Sustainable Tourism Development in the Protected Areas of Maramures, Romania: Destinations with High Authenticity. Sustainability, 14(3), Article 3. https://doi .org/10.3390/su14031763
19. Meretu, T., Abebe, E., & Gessese, G. (2023). A Tale of Two Worlds: Community perceptions on ecotourism impacts in the World Heritage Site of the Simien Mountains National Park. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202304.0776.v1
20. Nocca, F. (2017). The Role of Cultural Heritage in Sustainable Development: Multidimensional Indicators as Decision-Making Tool. Sustainability, 9(10), Article 10. https://doi.org/10.3390/su9101882
21. Okumus, I., & Erdogan, S. (2021). Analyzing the Tourism Development and Ecological Footprint Nexus: Evidence From the Countries With Fastest-Growing Rate of Tourism GDP. In D. Balsalobre-Lorente, O. M. Driha, & M. Shahbaz (Eds.), Strategies in Sustainable Tourism, Economic Growth and Clean Energy (pp. 141-154). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-59675-0_8
22. Panzera, E., de Graaff, T., & de Groot, H. L. F. (2021). European cultural heritage and tourism flows: The magnetic role of superstar World Heritage Sites. Papers in Regional Science, 100(1), 101-123. https://doi.org/10.1111/pirs.12562
23. Parga Dans, E., & Alonso González, P. (2019). Sustainable tourism and social value at World Heritage Sites: Towards a conservation plan for Altamira, Spain. Annals of Tourism Research, 74, 68-80. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2018.10.011
24. Park, S., & Ahn, D. (2022). Seeking Pleasure or Meaning? The Different Impacts of Hedonic and Eudaimonic Tourism Happiness on Tourists' Life Satisfaction. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(3), Article 3. https://doi .org/10.3390/ij erph19031162
25. Pedak, M. (2018). The Effect of Tourism on GDP. https://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hj:diva-41334
26. Petronela, T. (2016). The Importance of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Economy. Procedia Economics and Finance, 39, 731-736. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2212-5671(16)30271-4
27. Qureshi, M. I., Hassan, M. A., Hishan, S. S., Rasli, A. Md., & Zaman, K. (2017). Dynamic linkages between sustainable tourism, energy, health and wealth: Evidence from top 80 international tourist destination cities in 37 countries. Journal of Cleaner Production, 158, 143-155. https://doi.org/10.1016/jjclepro.2017.05.001
28. Roslan, Z. B., Ramli, Z., Razman, M. R., Asyraf, M. R. M., Ishak, M. R., Ilyas, R. A., & Nurazzi, N. M. (2021). Reflections on Local Community Identity by Evaluating Heritage Sustainability Protection in Jugra, Selangor, Malaysia. Sustainability, 13(16), Article 16. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13168705
29. Sharpley, R. (2009). Tourism Development and the Environment: Beyond Sustainability? Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781849770255
30. Sharpley, R. (2020). Tourism, sustainable development and the theoretical divide: 20 years on. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 28(11), 1932-1946. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2020.1779732
31. Silva, H. E., & Henriques, F. M. A. (2021). The impact of tourism on the conservation and IAQ of cultural heritage: The case of the Monastery of Jerónimos (Portugal). Building and Environment, 190, 107536. https://doi.org/10.10167j.buildenv.2020.107536
32. Sofield, T., & Li, S. (2012). Tourism governance and sustainable national development in China: A macro-level synthesis. In Tourism Governance. Routledge.
33. Vecco, M., & Srakar, A. (2018). The unbearable sustainability of cultural heritage: An attempt to create an index of cultural heritage sustainability in conflict and war regions. Journal of Cultural Heritage, 33, 293-302. https://doi.org/10.10167j.culher.2018.06.009
