Towards community inclusion: chongoni world heritage site and sustainable cultural tourism in Malawi

The listing of the Chongoni Rock Art area as a World Heritage Site has led to local economic benefits through increased tourism and associated activities such as the production, performance and sale of local crafts and other cultural products, to visitors. These have provided better economic opportunities and livelihoods for the local communities around the World Heritage Site. A study was conducted in this important area using a practical tool, the nominal group technique (NGT). The study involved four villages in the surrounds of the Chongoni Rock Art area to evaluate the limitations and solutions to be considered in planning, developing and operating cultural heritage tourism in host communities. Through informal engagement with the local communities it was revealed that the level of community integration in cultural tourism initiatives is minimal. One of the proposed recommendations from this study is the promotion of community integration that ensures that cultural heritage tourism revenues directly benefit the people of Dedza district and improve their standard of living. This paper further discusses the strategic measures for how local communities and their economic enterprises in and around Chongoni could be integrated into the process of planning, developing and managing cultural heritage tourism in the area. This integration is a key factor in guaranteeing sustainable cultural tourism in WHS and the successful preservation of both tangible and intangible heritage of the area and surrounding region.