Foteini Tsakmaki

• A. KONTOPANAGOU
• E. DRAKAKIS
• M. ARGYROPOULOU

The present doctoral dissertation proposal focuses on investigating the interrelated relationship between cultural heritage, local communities, and sustainable tourism development. The aim of the research is to highlight, through the comprehensive documentation of cultural resources in both urban and rural environments, with particular emphasis on the Prefecture of Larissa, the concept of the local cultural product, thereby establishing it as an integral part of the Greek cultural industry. A fundamental starting point of the study is the recognition that the region possesses a rich cultural heritage, which remains to a significant extent underutilized or only fragmentarily incorporated into tourism planning.
The field of research will be the Region of Thessaly, with a primary focus on the Prefecture of Larissa, where the recording and assessment of cultural resources associated with local communities will be carried out. These include monuments, mansions, local collections and folklore museums, traditions, and oral memory. Emphasis will be placed on rigorous historical and archaeological documentation in order to identify those elements of cultural resources that may be effectively linked to alternative and contemporary forms of tourism, such as agritourism, religious tourism, wellness tourism, conference tourism, and other related forms.
The proposed methodology is based on primary field research, encompassing the anthropogenic, natural, and cultural environment, as well as qualitative archaeological research combined with the parallel use of quantitative research approaches in the field of development studies. This methodological framework is expected to lead to the creation of a management model for the cultural heritage of the Prefecture of Larissa, one that connects local cultural institutions with the mechanisms of sustainability and sustainable tourism development.
Particular focus is placed on the participation of local communities and stakeholders, who are regarded not only as custodians of collective memory but also as active participants in cultural management and tourism development. Through fieldwork, archival documentation, and semi-structured interviews, the dissertation seeks to develop a participatory model for the management of cultural heritage.
The originality of the research lies in its inclusive approach to the local cultural capital of the specific region through an interdisciplinary framework that integrates three scientific fields: historical and archaeological studies, cultural heritage studies, sustainable development, and cultural tourism, with participatory action and social cohesion as its central axis. The linkage of the local community’s cultural identity is further consolidated through a sustainable development model, which may serve as a model of application for other regions of the Greek periphery as well.
Overall, the present proposal seeks to connect cultural heritage with sustainable development through sustainable tourism development, by means of a participatory management model in which the local population assumes an active role. In this way, the promotion of cultural identity functions not only as a means of tourism projection but also contributes to improving the quality of life of residents, strengthening social cohesion, and supporting the local economy.