Department: University of California, Davis, USA

Author: Tometi GBEDEMA

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Department: University of California, Davis, USA

Institution: University of California, Davis, USA

Title: Inscription of tourism sites as World Heritage sites: Is this a step for collaboration or isolation?

Abstract:

Like in many regions in theworld, world heritage sites abound in Africa, sub-Saharan Africa, Ghana in particular. Yet, due to the lack of international support, proper management, taking appropriate measures and collaboration, development of these resources to promote local economic developmentand remedy poverty within poor communities has remained very huge challenges for practitioners. Van Dantzig (1980) claimedthat ‘tradeposts, fortified or not,have been built in various parts of the world, but nowhere in such great numbers along such a relatively short stretch of coast’[1] as seen in Ghana.

This paper intends to examine what the benefits are for tourism sites that are inscribed as World heritagesites. Its intention is to bring attention to the initial ideas behind the naming of sites as World heritage sites. It asks questions about what has led to the isolation of some of these sites on their own after being attributed these high accolades. The interests of the paper is to look into how we can work together to find pathways to help develop and strengthen local and national capacities for long-term protection and management of these world heritage sites. The aim is to re-examine the conditions for international collaborations and partnerships to help enhance global prescriptions for tourism development at world heritage sites.

Addressing the necessity for local and foreign stakeholder cooperation for proper mediation of local tourism development practices at heritage sites in poor regions, this paper provides that by getting international tourism agencies involved in regular trainings of tourism site management teams, development can be achieved, collaboration built, share of knowledge and skills of good practices for management promoted for better maintenance and preservation of world heritage sites. Although visiting the such sites (old slave forts and castles) in Ghana brings back sad and painful memories, disappointments and anger, and creates conflicts of interest between tourists and host societies, there still exist benefits to be drawn from touring these world heritage sites forboth the diasporic visitors andlocal peoples. For instance, while Ghanaians see tourism [at these heritage sites] primarily as a route to development, African American tourists visiting these places view them their places of origin. Thus, they want nothing to be done to these sites.[2] They do not want to see any commercial activity being held at or nearby the premises of Elmina Castles. For many of them, these sites are sacred ground and need not be desecrated. Theydo not want these sites to be made beautiful or to be whitewashed. They want the original stench to remain in the dungeons.[3]In fact, inasmuch as these sites remind or provide us withtheknowledge and understanding of our pasts, they still remain assets for offering economic opportunities to the societies.In enabling ustodealwith the differences between Africans and Black Diaspora, these sites offer opportunities for development of heritage tourism programs to unite us, eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, and mostly help develop global partnership for development as stated in the UN Millennium goals. Partnering with international agencies definitely helps ease some of the challenges that local tourism entrepreneurs face. It reduces acts of scrupulous deals that poor areas tourism practitioners very often get themselves into. Tourism has been hailed as an engine of economic growth and prosperity for the 21st century.[4] Thus, it’s important that with the assistance of WTO, we look into how to enable foreign agencies to work in collaboration with their developing country counterparts to establish better relationship between heritage site promotion and local community development and to enhancement of livelihood in the world.

Author Bio:

Tometi has a PhD in Geography with interests in human, cultural, physical and economic geography, tourism and community development studies. He holds an MA in Translation and an MS in Community Development. His dissertation currently at press, “The Door of No Returns – Role of Heritage Tourism in Local Communities in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Cases of Elmina and Keta in Ghana”, deals with issues of tourism development and human processes that have shaped the lives of populations in the world, the sub-Saharan African region and America in particular. This essay looks at how Africa interacts with the global world. He authored the book, “NIMBY: Natural Resource Development Issues – Tensions Behind Energy Resource Development Issues, Growth and Preservation of Small Town Values”.

[1]Van Dantzig, Albert. (1980) Forts and Castles of Ghana, Sedco Publishing Limited, Accra, Ghana

[2]Bruner, Edward M. (2005) Tourism in Ghana: The Representation of Slavery and Return of the Black Diaspora

[3] id

[4]Segbefia, Alexander Yao. (2008) Community Approach to Tourism Development in Ghana; In: Tourism in Ghana: A Modern Synthesis