Business and Community Resilience in Times of Crisis: Lessons from Galle Fort (Sri Lanka), a Living World Heritage City

Galle Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and tourism-dependent city in Sri Lanka, demonstrated both vulnerabilities and resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study reveals that while over-reliance on heritage tourism exposed local micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to severe economic disruptions, the crisis also spurred innovative mitigation strategies among entrepreneurs. These lessons highlight the need for people-centred sustainable policies to foster resilience in living World Heritage cities facing similar challenges. The research employed questionnaire surveys and interviews with local businesses to assess pandemic impacts from 2020 to mid-2022, offering actionable insights for balancing heritage conservation with economic sustainability.

Jinadasa, U., Subasinghe, S., van den Dries, M., Vitanova, L. L., & Dayawansa, N. D. K. (2025). Business and Community Resilience in Times of Crisis: Lessons from Galle Fort (Sri Lanka), a Living World Heritage City. Conservation and Management of Archaeological Sites, 27(5-6), 432–456. https://doi.org/10.1080/13505033.2026.2652279