Ecomuseums Community-Based Tourism Development for Heritage Protection
The concept of the ecomuseum originated in France in the 1970s as a museum activity that views an entire region as an “open-air museum.” In this approach, local residents work together with curators trained in scientific methods to uncover heritage that tells the story of the region’s history, nature, culture, and industry. These important assets are then exhibited in their original locations—preserved as they are or further refined. Through research, learning, and interpretation—explaining the meaning of this heritage in their own words—residents rediscover the unique appeal of their community. By welcoming visitors into the ecomuseum and fostering exchange through heritage-based tourism, communities can strengthen their identity, cultivate local pride, and generate economic benefits.
In France, some ecomuseums remain independent of tourism or economic activities. However, in many examples around the world, the ecomuseum has been adopted as an effective method of community-driven tourism development, safeguarding living heritage while involving residents as the central actors. In particular, we have promoted the ecomuseum model that incorporates a core (center for curatorial activities and information), satellites (heritage sites themselves), and discovery trails (routes or “paths of discovery”)—implementing this in pioneering regions within Japan and transferring it internationally as the “Japanese-style Ecomuseum Model” through JICA’s tourism development cooperation projects in Africa, the Middle East, the South Pacific, and South America.
