Sustainable heritage management and tourism development: a case study from Elmina, Ghana

Abstract

The case of Elmina is one where heritage management, heritage tourism and sustainable development were interlinked through the Elmina Cultural Heritage and Management Programme (ECHMP), an integrated urban management programme. Heritage was to be regarded as a resource for economic empowerment, generating benefits for the local community development through: (1) job creation in heritage management; (2) income generation through local tourism development; and (3) effective involvement of community stakeholders. Despite the successful rehabilitation of heritage properties and other improvements in urban revitalization, sustainability could not be achieved in many of the activities of the ECHMP. This was mainly due to a lack of funding and weak stakeholder collaboration and challenges in the maintenance of achievements. Involvement of the local community in Elmina’s tourism market is low and heritage assets do not generate sustainable sources of income.