Introduction
The tourism industry is fast becoming one of the main emphasis for economic regeneration all around the world,
and especially in developing countries, as a step to introduce variegation into the economy of such countries, as
well as improving the quality of life of individuals (Ayeni, 2012). Emphasizing on the meaning of quality of life,
Pacione (2003) stated that a quality life is not essentially a simple function of material wealth, but it refers either
to the conditions of the environment that people live or to the attribute of the people themselves. Çakmak &
Çenesiz (2020) opined that tourism is very much essential in reducing poverty of individuals in developing
countries, and improving economic growth alongside.
Landscape is perceived by researchers to be a phenomenon of which its description transcends that of a
mere view. It also includes the features that distinguish an area from others, making the area stand out. These
attributes are of importance to tourism experience (Ayeni, 2012). One major deduction from this description is
the establishment of a relationship between the two variables – tourism and landscape. Naveh and Lieberman
(2013) further described landscape as the totality of the human environment that consists of vivid, realistic and
visible elements, forming a fusion between living organisms and the physical surface of the earth, as well as
conscious, artistic creations of man. Both definitions show clearly that these areas are distinct; each with its
entities, all of which sum up to attain the status of “landscape”.
Over time, a close connection has always been existent between nature, people and their culture. The
resultant phenomenon consists of sites, some of which reveal an attempt to sustain biological diversity, while
others reflect some communal beliefs and customs. In line with these intentions, some of these sites, referred to
as Cultural Landscapes have been included in the World Heritage List. (UNESCO WHC, 2018). According to
Richards (2018) there has never been a time that we could separate culture from tourism. Recently though, their
interrelationship has been identified in an explicit manner, thereby terming it Cultural Landscape. A cultural
landscape can be seen as a subset of the bigger phenomenon known as Landscape. National Park Service (NPS)
(2014) defined Cultural Landscape as “a geographic area, including both cultural and natural resources and the
wildlife or domestic animals therein, associated with a historic event, activity, or person or exhibiting other
cultural or aesthetic values”. Time, as an element of the cultural landscape, is actively involved in the build-up of
Cultural Landscape, which is the fusion between a natural environment and the involvement of a man. In this
case, Time is viewed as the build-up of social practices layered in a cultural setting (Song, St. Clair, & Wang,
2008).