HOLY LANDS: SCOPING THE NEXUS BETWEEN HERITAGE, PILGRIMAGE AND DIASPORA IN INDIA

Pilgrimage is recognized as one of the fastest growing motivations for travel globally, with more than 600 million 'spiritual voyages' undertaken annually, with half of these occurring within Asia. 'Spiritual Voyages' include local and regional pilgrimages, but also large-scale gatherings, including the Kumbh Mela, which had an estimated 120 million devotees in 2019. While tourism among diaspora communities was encouraged through the 'Incredible India' Program (USAID 2010), diasporas occupy a complex ground between international and local tourism/pilgrimage. Indeed, in India, diasporas have yet to have their socioeconomic impact recorded or benchmarked. This is a particular challenge as diaspora communities are not recorded separately in current Indian government tourist metrics and statistics (Ministry of Tourism Report, Government of India 2018). Such assessments are critical as diaspora pilgrims/tourists are less likely to utilise the same businesses/hotels/restaurants/travel companies as international tourists (USAID 2010). They may also have distinct impacts on economies that are not yet being recognized in traditional measures. For example, it has been asserted that while diaspora may not spend as much money as foreign tourists, their expenditures are potentially more likely to go directly towards local producers and businesses, which may in turn have greater social and economic benefits for local resident communities (USAID 2010). Recording and benchmarking this impact is key as it has been identified that the benefits of large-scale infrastructure projects and initiatives to promote international pilgrimage and tourism within Asia have been restricted, and often do not reach as many resident communities associated with cultural heritage sites as originally envisaged (Coningham and Lewer 2019).

To bridge this conceptual and quantitative gap, an expert research network of academics and practitioners will develop a north-south-south partnership to identify the potential socio-economic impacts of diaspora tourism and pilgrimage for sustainable and inclusive development, as well as enhanced protection of cultural heritage. Whilst recent projects have begun to address how the collection of data on social and economic impacts of pilgrims and tourists at major pilgrimage sites can identify socio-economic benefits, the network and its shared toolkit will build on this legacy by developing a framework to scope and identify the potential impacts of diaspora communities at heritage sites. This will be based on relevant economic indicators, such as income, employment and business opportunities, and social indicators, such as education level, social cohesion, capacity strengthening, improvement of infrastructure and services. This will be achieved through the scoping of available quantitative data, such as questionnaires of diaspora visitors, local residents and local businesses including tour operators; visitor book data; site management records, as well as qualitative data, such as semi-structured interviews with site managers, community stakeholders. The network will thus scope gaps and develop a method for identifying and assessing this data, and providing a benchmark that can then be developed into long-term monitoring of the impacts of diaspora communities. Focusing on sites that are under the jurisdiction of the Archaeological Survey of India in Gujarat, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh, the team will undertake its initial scoping activities at major religious traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism and Christianity, in addition to other religious groups and communities who utilize these sites.

The development of an online toolkit to evaluate the potential social and economic impacts of diaspora heritage and pilgrimage will provide an archetype for dissemination among managers and lay and religious communities within India, where heritage is threatened by rapid urbanization and associated demands for agricultural intensification and raw resources. Heritage interventions and infrastructure developments are currently conceived, scoped and implemented independently; often resulting in unintended adverse impacts for sites, communities and visitors and pilgrims from the greater diaspora. Research by Durham's UNESCO Chair has demonstrated that the promotion of, and investment in, certain heritage sites can also run the risk of alienating such communities with few social or economic linkages.

Building out from Durham's UNESCO Chair's participation in programs in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal, this network will introduce the consideration of the social and economic impact of diaspora into immediate articulation with our established constituency of archaeologists, development anthropologists, planners, economists, accountants, environmental scientists, site and museum curators, site managers, residents, monks, nuns, tourist operators and specialists in conflict resolution drawn from international and national HEIs, NGOs, GOs, INGOs and IGOs. Confirmed participation in the Scoping Workshop stretches beyond academia to include representatives from UNESCO, the Government of India and ICOMOS.

The Dissemination Workshop will share pilot monitoring toolkits online with the broader Indian and SAARC community to illustrate ways in which heritage site can be preserved and developed yet ensure that stakeholders, pilgrims and residents benefit positively from impacts. To intensify this impact, participation from key heritage champions in Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh has been confirmed as well as NGO and GO representatives, including the Director-Generals of Archaeology in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh alongside representatives from UNESCO and ICOMOS, and the Director of the Sharma Centre for Heritage Education, India. The data will also serve to communicate to stakeholders and residents about the potential value and benefit of hosting heritage sites and thus reduce or decrease damage, whether intended or unintended.

Our potential impact across this nexus was recognized in April 2016 by UNESCO's Director-General, who stated that "There is no need to choose between the preservation of heritage and the needs of...pilgrims...This is the role of UNESCO and this International Scientific Committee, and we are determined to carry forward this important task...I know this works lies at the heart of UNESCO Chair at Durham"