Legacy Tourism in Sacred Destinations

Legacy Tourism in Sacred Destinations offers an original interdisciplinary analysis of how tourism can be developed and governed in sacred destinations shaped by distinctive faith traditions. Focusing on Alevi Ocak-based heritage sites, the book introduces legacy tourism as a new framework for understanding destinations not simply as economic assets, but as living heritage systems sustained through collective memory, ritual practice, and community identity. In doing so, it addresses a significant gap in tourism and heritage scholarship, where lineage based belief systems and sacred landscapes have remained largely overlooked. By placing governance, cultural continuity, and intangible heritage at the centre of destination development, Ibrahim Cifci makes a timely contribution to debates on inclusive and sustainable tourism.

Drawing on extensive empirical research, including surveys, semi-structured interviews, field visits, and secondary data, the book examines how authenticity, community participation, cultural transmission, and the pressures of commodification shape tourism in sacred Alevi destinations. Its findings are brought together in a Legacy Tourism Governance Framework designed to support policymakers, destination managers, and heritage practitioners in developing culturally sensitive and community-based tourism strategies. Combining theoretical innovation with practical relevance, this timely monograph will be valuable to scholars and postgraduate students in tourism, heritage, and development studies, as well as to professionals seeking ethical and sustainable approaches to destination governance in culturally complex settings.