Digital Protection of Traditional Villages for Sustainable Heritage Tourism

Similar to the plight of other traditional villages, Qiqiao Ancient Village is declining under the impact of urbanization and the devastation of modernization. Qiqiao is chosen as the case study as it is the second-largest settlement of Confucian descendants, with a rich cultural heritage. In recent years, the local government has taken measures such as cultural heritage restoration and tourism development to protect their traditional village, but the result is unsatisfactory. By field observation and interviewing three groups of stakeholders, the protection project manager, villagers, and tourists, this research analyzed the current situation of Qiqiao and digital protection applications for its heritage tourism to reveal some recent problems. Considering the local economic and technological conditions, this research suggested digital solutions for similar traditional villages in protection projects for sustainable heritage tourism.