e-Heritage in the Globalizing Society: Enabling Cross-Cultural Engagement Through ICT

This article advocates that the traditional approach pursued by the tourist business is in need of fundamental revision. Experience has shown that economic development activities like tourism, when they are driven by outsiders (notably transnational corporations), are likely to deplete the cultural and social capital that is necessary for sustainable community economic development. It is assumed instead that to the extent that insiders are empowered and enabled to bridge cross-cultural differences, tourism development strategies may contribute towards global sustainability. Establishing cultural empathy between players in the travel industry is crucial in this process. However, this vision needs to be grounded in a sound business model for the heritage enterprise. To this aim, local narratives should be translated into compelling e-content to be diffused globally.