A Tourism Archaeology Model for Community-Led Heritage Narratives

Thesis Abstract

This study addresses the erosion of authentic community-led heritage narratives in tourist destinations where top-down heritage management has prioritized commodified narratives over locally constructed meanings. The central aim is to develop and validate a Tourism Archaeology Model that integrates archaeological method, heritage governance, and community storytelling to co-create sustainable visitor experiences. Specific objectives are to (1) map how community-based narratives intersect with archaeological data and material culture within selected sites, (2) examine the governance mechanisms, power relations, and participatory processes that enable or constrain local storytelling, (3) examine tourist perceptions and behaviors in response to community-led narratives using mixed-methods evidence, (4) construct a decision-support framework that links stakeholder inputs, interpretive design, and visitor impact management, and (5) assess the transferability of the model to comparable archaeotourism contexts. The study adopts a mixed-methods research design that triangulates qualitative and quantitative evidence within a pragmatic philosophical stance, drawing on actor-network theory and symbolic interactionism to illuminate how material traces, stakeholder agency, and visitor meaning-making co-create heritage narratives. The population includes archaeologists, heritage managers, local guides, community representatives, and visiting tourists in three coastal heritage towns with active archaeological storytelling programs. A purposive sample of 36 interviewees (12 community representatives, 12 heritage professionals, 12 guides) and 600 survey respondents (200 per site) is complemented by 48 hours of participant observation at heritage sites and 24 in-depth case narratives collected from community storytellers. Instrumentation comprises semi-structured interview guides, a standardized heritage governance questionnaire, and a tourist experience survey incorporating Likert scales and open-ended prompts. Validity and reliability are addressed through pilot testing, expert panel review, intercoder reliability for qualitative data (Cohen’s kappa > 0.80), and construct validation of the survey instrument (confirmatory factor analysis with CFI > 0.90, RMSEA < 0.08). Data analysis proceeds with thematic analysis for interview transcripts, triangulated with narrative coding of community-led plaques, audio-visual materials, and site diaries. Quantitative data are analyzed using multivariate regression to identify predictors of tourist satisfaction with community narratives, multiple-group structural equation modeling to compare site variations, and ANOVA to test differences in perceived authenticity across stakeholder groups. A GIS-enabled mapping component overlays archaeological features with stakeholder networks to visualize information flows and interpretive foci. The model specification includes a layered framework with (i) community-led interpretive design, (ii) archaeological data integration, (iii) governance and participation structures, (iv) visitor experience design and impact management, and (v) feedback loops for iterative co-creation. The study also tests the model’s sensitivity to governance variables such as co-management presence, funding stability, and capacity-building initiatives. Key expected findings include (i) enhanced tourist satisfaction when narratives reflect convergent meanings among community, archaeologists, and guides; (ii) stronger preservation attitudes and lower reporting of negative impacts where participatory decision-making is embedded; and (iii) demonstrable improvements in interpretive quality and authenticity once community voices are structurally integrated into planning and materials development. The contribution to knowledge lies in operationalizing a theoretically grounded Tourism Archaeology Model that foregrounds community agency, material culture, and ethical governance, bridging archaeological practice with tourism destination management. The study provides a transferable framework for other archaeotourism contexts seeking to align heritage interpretation with local memory and global visitor expectations, supported by a practical decision-support tool and transferable protocols for stakeholder collaboration, narrative co-creation, and visitor impact monitoring. The main conclusion posits that sustainable archaeotourism is achieved when community-led narratives are embedded within an archaeologically informed interpretive framework, supported by inclusive governance, transparent value-sharing mechanisms, and iterative evaluation. Recommendations emphasize capacity-building for local communities, formalized co-management arrangements, investment in digital storytelling platforms, and replication of the model in varied geographic and cultural settings to refine its universality and robustness.