Designing, Implementing, and Evaluating Sustainable Archaeotourism Networks in Coastal Greece

Thesis Abstract

This study addresses the escalating tension between heritage preservation and visitor demand in coastal Greece, where unmanaged archeotourism risks site degradation, community disruption, and diminished cultural accessibility. The aim is to design, implement, and evaluate a sustainable archeotourism network that integrates heritage management, community participation, visitor experience, and environmental stewardship. Specific objectives are (1) to diagnose current archeotourism practices in coastal communities and identify indicators of sustainability; (2) to develop a networked framework that aligns museological standards, heritage policies, and local governance; (3) to implement pilot pathways—including interpretive trails, digital storytelling, and community-owned tourism enterprises—within a representative cluster of sites; (4) to evaluate network performance using multi-criteria sustainability metrics; and (5) to derive scalable recommendations for policy, practice, and further research. The research adopts a mixed-methods design grounded in stakeholder theory and the socio-ecological systems framework. The population comprises archaeotourism stakeholders across coastal Greece, including site managers, local councils, tour operators, community associations, and visitors. A stratified purposive sample will select 20 archeological sites representing varying scale, accessibility, and vulnerability, with 150 local stakeholders and 600 visitors surveyed, supplemented by 40 in-depth interviews and 12 focus groups. Data collection instruments include structured surveys capturing perceptions of sustainability, willingness to pay, and satisfaction; semi-structured interview guides exploring governance, collaboration, and risk management; focus group prompts on community benefits and ownership; and observational checklists for site conditions and interpretive quality. Instrument validity will be established through pilot testing (n=30) and expert review, with reliability assessed via Cronbach’s alpha (>0.70). Data analysis employs a convergent parallel design quantitative data will be analyzed using multivariate regression to identify drivers of perceived sustainability, structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the hypothesized network relationships, and ANOVA to compare differences across site types; qualitative data will undergo thematic analysis to extract patterns of governance, participation, and resilience, aided by NVivo coding. A conceptual model will synthesize results, depicting how governance quality, stakeholder collaboration, and interpretive investment influence environmental integrity, social equity, and economic viability within the network. Expected findings include (i) evidence that inclusive governance and co-created interpretive content significantly enhance visitor satisfaction and local empowerment; (ii) demonstration that networked management reduces site impact indicators (e.g., litter, wear) while increasing stakeholder resilience against seasonal fluctuations; and (iii) identification of critical bottlenecks such as data sharing constraints, funding continuity, and governance fragmentation. The study contributes to knowledge by integrating network governance theory with archeotourism management, offering an empirical, replicable framework for sustainable heritage-based networks in littoral contexts. It advances practical understanding of how digital storytelling, community-owned enterprises, and phased interpretive deployment can strengthen conservation outcomes while improving visitor experiences and local livelihoods. The main conclusions are anticipated to advocate for formalized network agreements, capacity-building programs for municipalities, standardized impact monitoring protocols, and a scalable pilot-to-policy pathway for coastal Greece. Recommendations include (a) establishing a centralized but participatory network coordinating body, (b) codifying best-practice interpretive guidelines and digital channels, (c) implementing recurring impact assessments with transparent reporting, (d) securing diversified funding streams including public, private, and philanthropy, and (e) replicating the model in similar littoral archaeology-rich regions. The anticipated study thereby informs national heritage policy and regional tourism strategies, providing a robust, evidence-based blueprint for sustainable archeotourism networks that balance preservation with community benefit and visitor engagement.