PROSPECTS FOR POVERTY REDUCTION AND SUSTAINABLE EMPLOYMENT IN RURAL AREAS THROUGH CULTURAL HERITAGE TOURISM

Cultural heritage tourism has increasingly been recognised as a potential instrument for diversifying rural economies, creating employment opportunities, strengthening local entrepreneurship, and improving household livelihoods. Rural areas often possess valuable tangible and intangible cultural resources, including historical monuments, traditional architecture, handicrafts, local cuisine, cultural landscapes, festivals, and traditional knowledge. When these resources are responsibly incorporated into tourism activities, they can generate additional sources of income and contribute to local economic development. However, tourism growth does not automatically lead to poverty reduction. The distribution of tourism benefits depends on local participation, access to infrastructure, entrepreneurial opportunities, skills, finance, and effective destination governance. This article examines the prospects for reducing poverty and promoting sustainable employment in rural areas through cultural heritage tourism from an international perspective. The study applies a qualitative analytical approach based on international research, policy documents, and reports on sustainable tourism and rural development. The analysis focuses on employment creation, local value chains, family entrepreneurship, community participation, income diversification, and the preservation of cultural heritage. The findings indicate that cultural heritage tourism can contribute to poverty reduction when local communities are actively involved in tourism value creation and when tourism development is integrated with broader rural development policies. The article concludes that sustainable employment and poverty reduction require an integrated model combining heritage conservation, skills development, local entrepreneurship, accessible finance, infrastructure development, and community participation.