Residents’ perceptions towards sustainability of cultural resources: the case of great inn

ABSTRACT Destinations that have become trademarks have significantly accelerated the promotion of the country and the economy, thereby enhancing further the importance of cultural tourism. Far too little attention has been paid to the domestic products of handicraft, which is a source of cultural heritage. The purpose of this study is twofold. It aims to reveal the contribution of domestic products of handicraft to the promotion of a destination. It also attempts to evaluate the local residents’ perception of the culture tourism as an alternative tourism product for sustainable tourism development. A qualitative research method is used in this study. The study results reveal that while domestic products of handicraft are a part of cultural heritage, they are not sufficiently appreciated by policy-makers and planners. It is found that the political and economic instability affect destination development in a negative way and that the difficulties faced in efforts to sustain the cultural heritage resources are the most important factors that stand against sustainable development. The results also indicated that the local community has a positive attitude towards the sustainability of the cultural tourism and that there is a lack of cooperation among the stakeholders in realizing this development.