[COLUMNIST] Are we doing enough to preserve our heritage sites?

WITH the opening of the international border, the pace of recovery in Malaysia’s inbound tourism is accelerating amid continued growth in the number of both foreign tourist arrivals and local tourism.

Recently, the Tourism Malaysia Director-General, Datuk Dr. Ammar Abdul Ghapar, announced that Malaysia is poised to surpass its international tourist arrival target for this year and is expected to reach 18 million by the end of 2023. As for the domestic tourism, 54.5 million visitors were recorded, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia.

With the statistics, the tourism sector is showing signs of recovery with an optimistic outlook. While the industry players welcome the tourists with open hands, the sudden surge may result in environmental issues such as degradation of service quality and an exponential increase in waste and pollution.

For example, the increased number of tourists in Penang or Malacca, which was inscribed as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), which is rich in arts, culture, and heritage, may face issues such as vandalism, looting, and overcrowding of tourists, which could potentially threaten their outstanding universal value (OUV), as the heritage sites are forced to deal with more than they can handle, putting a strain on the location.

The degradation of cultural heritage sites represents one of the most important threats for the future generation. UNESCO has a list of World Heritage in Danger and there were 56 properties on the list. The last thing we want for our heritage sites is to be on the list. As much as we hold pride in our heritage sites, are we doing enough to preserve them?

Tourism can be viewed as either a source of funding to save such landmarks or as a curse that erases them. Without effective management and preservation efforts, as well as sustainable practices, the dangers posed by the tourism industry risk causing irrevocable damage to the unique values of the sites. Therefore, collaborative efforts among stakeholders as well as the community around the heritage destinations are essential. The community should work hand in hand with the local authority to ensure the sustainability of the destinations. Such cooperative commitment and efforts are essential to managing the flow of the tourists and reducing the strain at the destination. The strategy aims to integrate tourism planning and heritage management at the destination level, valuing and protecting natural and cultural assets while encouraging responsible tourism development at the destination.

In addition, by fostering creativity, we can also integrate technology into preservation efforts. Augmented reality (AR) has its potential in cultural heritage preservation. With AR, tourists can experience a more immersive and interactive journey through the identity and authenticity of the arts and cultural knowledge. Imagine visiting the Stadthuys in Malacca using an AR application on your smartphone to witness what the place looked like in its prime time during the Dutch Colonial period. Through the apps, you can experience the neighbouring Christ Church building, over looking at the clocktower around the bustling street as administrative capital, listen to the sounds of busy life at the location, and even interact with virtual characters from that era. This level of engagement not only enhances the visitor experience but also fosters a deeper connection to the cultural heritage being preserved.

World Heritage sites are the embodiment of our shared pride and our country’s historical legacy, representing a link between the past, present, and future. It is therefore our responsibility to ensure that we are able to preserve them for future generations. Together, as a part of the community, we can play a pivotal role in contributing to achieving this essential goal of heritage preservation.

As a part of the community, we need to be proactive in contributing together to preserving the heritage that we have, as we are blessed with the rich cultural and historical heritage on the world heritage map, along with the recognition from UNESCO. Today, with the advent of technology, we should utilise it to further assist us in preserving the destination and, at the same time, providing memorable heritage tourism experiences to the visitors.

A national heritage is what is of value and pride to the nation, as it is a part of our legacy, our memory, and our history. We would not want our future generation to access and get to know our heritage only through an image on a postcard.

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Dr Tan Poh Ling is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Advertising, School of Communication, Xiamen University Malaysia.

** The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of Astro AWANI.