LEVERAGING CULTURAL TOURISM FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: SOCIAL WORK MODELS IN HERITAGE TOWNS

Cultural tourism has emerged as a vital tool for promoting sustainable livelihoods, heritage preservation, and social inclusion in heritage towns. This paper explores how social work models such as Community-Based Tourism (CBT), Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD), and social entrepreneurship can be effectively integrated into cultural tourism initiatives to foster community development. Using case studies from India (Kuchipudi village and Madhya Pradesh Responsible Tourism Mission) and international contexts (Heritage Watch in Cambodia and the Aga Khan Historic Cities Programme), the study demonstrates that tourism initiatives can significantly increase income levels, employment rates, and women’s participation while reducing youth migration. Data analysis indicates that average household incomes rose by 40–90%, employment improved by nearly 30%, and women’s involvement more than doubled in tourism-linked activities. The findings underscore that cultural tourism, when grounded in participatory social work practices, offers a transformative pathway for inclusive and sustainable community development.