Cultural Heritage from an Interdisciplinary Perspective: Analysing the Perspectives of Architecture and Tourism Academicians

Abstract

Tangible and intangible cultural heritage elements, which serve as significant attractions for the tourism sector, provide advantages in diversifying and marketing tourism activities. On the other hand, cultural heritage offers insights into societies’ artistic perceptions and architectural developments. Based on this perspective, this study aims to determine the perspectives of academics on cultural heritage, which holds great importance for both architecture and tourism disciplines. Through this analysis, the study seeks to de- fine what the concept of cultural heritage signifies for these two distinct disciplines. In this context, the study’s data were collected from faculty members working at the Faculty of Fine Arts and Ar- chitecture and the Faculty of Tourism at Antalya Bilim University. The study employed the interview technique, one of the qualitative research methods, and the collected data were subjected to con- tent analysis. The results revealed that cultural heritage is not just a physical space but a multidimensional phenomenon that shapes social identity, historical continuity, and economies. Moreover, cul- tural heritage is considered an income-generating element in both tourism and architecture disciplines but increasing local awareness and strengthening educational activities are crucial to prevent nega- tive effects such as commercialization and value loss.