Heritage, tourism, and community: developing community-based tourism in Old Dongola, Sudan

In 2019, the Dialogue community engagement project at Old Dongola began collaborating with local communities to develop community-based businesses that would deliver direct economic benefits to the people living near the archaeological site. Archaeologists are usually not trained in economics or marketing, and there are limits to the social impact an archaeological project can achieve. Yet the implementation of two collaborative programs —one focused on community-owned tourist accommodation and the other on souvenir handicraft production— offered insights into the potential roles that archaeologists can play in supporting community-based initiatives and safeguarding intangible heritage. They also demonstrated how archaeology can contribute to local economy, empowerment, and heritage. The article discusses the ways in which the author worked together with the local community within the framework of the Dialogue project, citing visitor data and the results of community surveys collected in Old Dongola.