Introduction

It has long been acknowledged that archaeology is destroyed through different means. While some of it is unintentional, other forms are deliberate. Archaeological sites are constantly destroyed on a daily basis through human interference such as urban development, farming activities, highway and road construction, mass tourism or natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and wind and water erosion. A major challenge for archaeological protection is that we cannot control what is being destroyed and how much of the archaeological record is lost. That we are unaware of what exists underground prevents local authorities from planning for what can be safeguarded for future generations.

Hence, destruction is inevitable, and while scientific excavations preserve a good record, the destruction is also irreversible. Archaeology is always a 'destructive' endeavour, but so is tourism through careless tourist behaviours, mass visitation, and infrastructure development (e.g. roads, car parks, gift shops) to provide services for the visiting public. This chapter discusses the destruction of archaeology and its effects on cultural tourism. It looks at man-made destruction from mass tourism, religious, terrorist, development and natural points of view. I argue that sometimes destruction is inevitable, affects the identity of the local community around a particular site, and influences the growth or decline of archaeo-tourism. In the latter case are archaeological sites that potential tourists might see as places damaged by vandalism and even violence and hence do not wish to visit. This chapter describes various forms of destruction of archaeological material culture and what this entails in the context of tourism.