Introduction

Archaeology and tourism have long maintained close but ambivalent relations. Both indeed share a common history, in particular from the 19th century. While archaeology emerged as a science, at the same time it offered a set of resources to the emerging tourism industry (Baram, 2008; Walker & Carr, 2013). The relations between archaeologists and tourists were then rather cordial, but as tourism continued to attract a constantly larger audience, the relationship deteriorated. The second half of the 20th century thus witnessed a widening gap between these two worlds. Even though it is still often thought, particularly in the archaeological community, that tourism and development are antithetical to the goals of heritage and archaeology, the strong emergence of conservation and sustainability philosophies in tourism during the last two decades of the 20th century made it possible to reconsider the relationship between archaeology and tourism in a more positive light. After all, tourism and archaeology may have the potential to foster mutual understanding between different stakeholders, encourage contact between cultures, and even create jobs and encourage local or national economic activities. Moreover, archaeological and tourist activities, together, have multiple and contrasted impacts on destination environments, both positive and negative, depending on the point of view and the scale of analysis.

This chapter aims to analyse the ambiguous relationships between archaeology and tourism, and archaeologists and tourists, while providing an overview of current issues and key concepts in tourism and in the work of archaeologists. In the first part, the chapter considers the bulk and characteristics of archaeological resources used in heritage tourism, with regard to an increase in public interest in access to these resources. Regarding tourism's use of archaeological work and resources, the chapter then considers the relationship between tourism and archaeology.

In particular, the chapter provides an overview of the literature relating to the archaeological debate with regard to the current history of the discipline.