The evolving nexus of intangible cultural heritage and tourism
Noël Salazar is professor of social and cultural anthropology at KU Leuven and founder of the Cultural Mobilities Research (CuMoRe) research cluster. His work focuses on the evolving relationships between heritage, tourism and mobility, drawing on extensive ethnographic research in contexts such as Indonesia, Tanzania, Chile and Belgium.
Building on the landmark 2012 UNWTO study on tourism and intangible cultural heritage — to which he contributed as an anthropologist — Salazar reflects on how the field has evolved over the past decade. In this Dialogue, he explores major thematic shifts in policy, governance and community involvement, examines the future of ICH-related tourism in a context of global polycrisis, and highlights the critical role of research in shaping more responsible, adaptive and community-centered tourism approaches.
