Sustainable Cultural Tourism and Virtual Reality the Contribution of the New Technologies Applications in the Fields of Preservation and Sustainable Tourism Management of the Cultural Heritage. The Case of Greece

Protection and preservation of natural and cultural heritage are considered vital to the survival of human civilization. Natural environment is an integral part of the cultural heritage of a place or a people. On one hand, there are special natural environments that are characterized as sensitive ecosystems or have a unique monumental character and belong to the world’s cultural heritage. On the other hand, there are components of the cultural potential that are in danger of being lost over time as their carriers have disappeared. In addition, the tangible and intangible cultural heritage is inextricably linked to the natural environment of a place and it forms the historical identity of a people. This paper examines how information and telecommunication technologies can make a decisive contribution to the protection of the natural and cultural environments. Moreover, this study analyzes how innovative and pioneering applications of new technologies can provide opportunities for the promotion of natural and cultural heritage. Besides the article demonstrates how the use of virtual and augmented reality applications contributes to the development of thematic tourism and to economic growth. It also focuses on the Greek paradigm, as a case study.