Seminar on Heritage Monuments as product of Tourism
Objectives of the Seminar
Heritage tourism is gaining tremendous ground in India and affects the historic and cultural portrayal of the country. The present seminar seeks to highlight the issues involved; bring discussions and deliberations to consider its growth; and contribute a direction to the expansion and development of heritage tourism.
Keynote Speaker:
Dr. Arawinda Jamkhedkar, Formerly Director, Maharashtra State Archaeology Dept.,Mumbai.
The host institution is South Konkan Education Society’s (SKE) Rani Parvati Devi College of Arts and Commerce, Belgaum.
Date: 13th September 2014
India is a land of deep rooted history and heritage reflecting sagas of human emotions woven into the monuments of time. These are in true sense footprints of our rich culture and heritage. Although, the monuments appear mute, every brick and stone testifies to a story of its own in the language of silence and reveals the existence of a glorious civilization. Monuments are dotted, throughout the length and breadth of our country representing the aspirations of the patrons painstakingly immortalized by artists. As tangible heritage, they occupy a unique place and represent eternal embodiments of aesthetic and artistic excellence. They also embody the spirit and cultural values of the age. This legacy is the essence of heritage tourism.
In a globalised world of shrunken distances and instant connections the boom in tourism is an event of unimaginable proportions. All countries in the world have responded to this ever growing demand by showcasing their very best. In a culturally abundant country like India, heritage tourism is a unique commodity and a great marketing tool. It is the need of the hour to unleash its power to influence all forms of tourism for the benefit of the nation and it’s heritage.
Heritage tourism is defined as ‘travel undertaken to explore and experience the places, activities and artifacts that authentically represent the stories and people of the past and present.’ It is a branch of tourism oriented towards cultural heritage and hereditary treasures. It envisages travel for purpose of widening one’s knowledge, understanding and appreciating art, architecture and heritage. This leads to historic, artistic and cultural heritage as important products of tourism. The kaleidoscopic variety of national and regional diversity makes India an ideal destination for heritage tourism. There is a profuse range of surprising heritage packages: splendorous temples, majestic forts, whispering palaces, pleasure gardens, mosques, mausoleums, domes, minarets, durbar halls, basadis, Viharas, museums, art galleries, structured environments; urban and rural sites which were cradles of civilizations; actual locations where historic events occurred and places of unique living cultures. All of them speak the language of heritage tourism.
Therefore the present seminar aims to deliberate and draw attention to the following issues:
Historicity and architecture of heritage monuments as priceless tangible destinations
Heritage monuments and artifacts as commodity.
Heritage tourism as social responsibility.
Heritage tourism as a cultural experience.
In this background, the stake holders of heritage tourism are archaeologists, art historians, tourism department, travel and tour agencies, tourists, general public, students and faculty of History and heritage tourism studies who are the participants of this seminar. In a sense the approach will create an inter-disciplinary dialogue.
Sub Themes:
The following sub-themes will be discussed in the technical sessions for which papers are invited from the delegates/students.
- Historicity and architecture of heritage monuments
- Heritage tourism: Its Marketing potential
- Heritage tourism and Social responsibility
- Heritage tourism – threats and challenges
- Heritage tourism towards sustainable development
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