Regional Folk Museums of Limited Scale:
Can they serve as Cultural Assets for Sustainable Tourism Development and Resilience?

Keywords: Cultural Heritage, Folklore Museums, Social Resilience, Rural Communities

   Tangible and intangible evidence of the past functions as a carrier of identity and collective memory. In recent years, cultural heritage has increasingly been approached as a key resource for sustainable tourism development and resilience. In rural contexts, however, the activation of small-scale local communities in relation to the management of their cultural assets remains a significant challenge. The promotion and management of cultural heritage through participatory processes may constitute a decisive factor for strengthening social cohesion, sustainability, and local development.
   This paper examines the dynamics of regional folklore museums in small communities and explores their role as resources of social resilience. The Folklore Museum of Gonnoi, located in the region of Thessaly, Greece, is selected as a case study. The museum was established through a private initiative and continues to operate through the collective action of the local cultural association and the residents of the area.
   Drawing on a qualitative case study approach, the paper analyses the museum’s organizational structure, social role, and collection management practices. Particular emphasis is placed on community participation, volunteerism, and the museum’s non-profit character as key elements contributing to sustainable development and resilience.
   Despite limited infrastructure, a lack of specialized staff, and insufficient funding, the Folklore Museum of Gonnoi has been operating continuously for more than twenty-five years. This ability to withstand external pressures reveals empirically grounded mechanisms of sustainability that are shaped within the specific local context, with the local community constituting the core structural foundation.
   The research also addresses the museum’s potential to support mild forms of cultural tourism. Although tourism is not a central aspect of the museum’s operation, initiatives undertaken by the local cultural association—such as guided tours, temporary exhibitions, and events related to intangible cultural heritage—create conditions for enriching visitors’ cultural experiences and promoting the area as an alternative tourism destination. Visitor flows to the museum, combined with the authenticity of an unpretentious rural setting, may activate the local community and generate prospects for local development.
   In conclusion, the case of Gonnoi demonstrates the potential of local folklore collections to function as nodes of resilience and soft, experiential cultural tourism, under specific conditions and through targeted community-based practices.

References

Musialik, W., Łukaniszyn-Domaszewska, K., Karaś, E., & Malik, K. (2024). Cultural heritage capital as a resilience factor in sustainable development policy of the region. Economics and Environment, 4(91), 1–12

Rise, K. (2025). The transformative impact of cultural tourism from the perspective of local communities: Identity, space, and meaning. Journal of Tourism Theory and Research, 11(2), 56-64