Preserving mustafapasa s folk dances: Integrating intangible cultural heritage into tourism

The objective of this book section is to demonstrate that the folk dances of Mustafapaşa, like other folk dances employed for tourism promotion in diverse regions of Turkey, constitute a viable tourism product for the enhancement of the region s tourism potential. However, not having sufficient information about the "whys" and "hows" of certain cultural assets makes it difficult to raise conservation awareness. The presentation of folk dances in mass organisations and group receptions of Mustafapaşa folk dances plays an instrumental role in disseminating Turkish folk culture and promoting tourism. Therefore, Mustafapaşa, which was declared one of the best tourism villages that protects its communities, local customs and cultural heritage with the program launched by UNWTO in 2021, will be discussed in the study, in terms of preserving its immigrant folk dances and transferring them to future generations and introducing this element to tourism as touristic element in order to benefit from the social, cultural and economic benefits of the local people at the highest level. © 2025 by IGI Global Scientific Publishing. All rights reserved.