ABSTRACT
Introduction This chapter explores the theme of heritage diplomacy in Asia in relation to the ongoing growth of intra-regional tourism. Today, cultural heritage is playing an increasingly important role in mediating relations between nations and states. Indeed, the desire to preserve and curate material culture has at once brought countries across the region together and simultaneously kept them apart. While extensive attention has been given to the ties between heritage and politics, the majority of the focus has been given to themes like conict, destruction, post-war recovery and nationalism, with much less known about the ways in which the cultural past gures into diplomacy and diplomatic relations, both bilateral and multilateral. This chapter picks up such questions and highlights the role tourism – both domestic and intra-regional – plays in this space.
