ABSTRACT
The Southeast Asian Maritime states have long been a point of interconnectivity, both within Asia and to the wider world beyond. The region’s contemporary role as one of the world’s centers of Islam places it in an advantageous position to serve as a cultural bridge between Asia, Africa, the Middle East and southeastern Europe. Within Asia, the Maritime countries share much with their counterparts on the Mainland, and each has beneted from the experiences of the other in the eld of heritage management. The regions also share experience with the increasing inuence of cultural heritage tourism, along with major modernization drives evidenced by cities such as Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, and the forces of globalization. As on the Mainland, the Maritime nations have beneted from the positive inuence of regional cooperation through ASEAN and SEAMEO SPAFA, and the initiatives of the UNESCO Asia-Pacic oce in Bangkok.
