Preserving the Past, Building the Future: The Role of Adaptive Heritage Reuse in Achieving SDGs Through Tourism

Cultural heritage is recognized as a crucial element in building a sustainable environment that contributes to sustainable economic growth. Adaptive heritage reuse (AHR) is seen not only as a means to safeguard and maintain heritage, but also as a driver for achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs) and promoting sustainable economic growth. However, AHR faces several challenges, including inflexible heritage legislation, lack of clear definitions, financial risks, and the complexity of heritage systems. Despite these challenges, AHR holds great potential for driving sustainable economic growth and SDGs. AHR has been increasingly adopted in the tourism and hospitality sectors in both developed and developing countries, but research in this area is still in its infancy. This chapter serves to provide a comprehensive understanding of adaptive heritage reuse (AHR) in the context of achieving SDGs. To achieve this, the chapter begins by defining AHR and illustrating its criteria and strategies for heritage buildings. In addition, it presents the drivers and barriers for AHR to SDGs. Furthermore, it explores AHR concept and implementations in the tourism industry through a range of case studies with different reuse purposes and SDG adaptations. By analysing these case studies, it provides insights into the opportunities and challenges that arise from the adoption of AHR in the tourism industry. Finally, it concludes with extents of AHR implications in tourism industry, highlights future research avenues, and contribute to a better understanding of the potential benefits of AHR in achieving SDGs.