TOURISM FLOW MANAGEMENT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN SILK ROAD HERITAGE CITIES: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF DUNHUANG AND SAMARKAND

This paper compares tourism flow management and sustainable development in two Silk Road World Heritage cities, Dunhuang and Samarkand, to identify implications for Samarkand. Using a comparative case study approach across four dimensions (tourism flow management mechanisms, digital heritage protection and visitor flow diversion, community participation, and management systems), the study finds that Dunhuang has established a model based on overall visitor volume control, reservation-based limits, digital presentation, and preventive monitoring, achieving coordination between heritage protection and tourism development. Samarkand, which is experiencing rapid growth in tourist flows, faces challenges in carrying-capacity management, digital visitor flow diversion, and the development of management systems. These differences are associated with management structures, legal frameworks, and community awareness. As the first systematic comparison based on tourism flow management theory, this study provides practical guidance for Samarkand and other Silk Road heritage cities.