Cultural tourism offers local communities the chance to benefit financially from their cultural heritage sites, encouraging them to appreciate and preserve it, while providing the opportunity to expand the personal horizons of visitors. It is closely tied to sustainable approaches, effective management of heritage sites, the built environment, and the social customs of these locations. However, managing the complex relationships between these factors and the impact of unplanned tourist activities is particularly challenging, especially at large-scale heritage sites. In recent years, sustainable cultural tourism has gained prominence as an important topic. In this context, this study explores the intricate connection between cultural tourism and heritage management in augmenting the sustainable development of heritage sites. The study argues that the integrated management of heritage sites, the social inclusion of communities, and informed tourism activities intersect to create a more sustainable approach to tourism at heritage sites. Managing and maintaining these sites has recently posed several challenges, directly contributing to economic, environmental, and social issues. As the demand for more resilient cities and communities grows, it is vital to explore how cultural sustainability can lead to positive outcomes. This research investigates the role of cultural tourism in sustainable development by employing the notion of integrated management to highlight its importance in promoting heritage conservation, enhancing community participation, and supporting social sustainability within heritage sites. It specifically examines the impact of strategic planning for sustainable tourism on communities and, in turn, on heritage sites, using two case studies: Galle Fort in Sri Lanka and Diji Kot Fort in Pakistan. The study collects and analyzes data from these two sites, using an inductive process, and formulates ideas based on archival data, leading to a detailed comparison of the phenomena under investigation. The study utilizes qualitative methodologies, such as archival research, site visits and personal notes to collect data from the sites. The findings reveal that informed tourism activities significantly influence the sustainable approach and the associative experiences within heritage sites. Furthermore, integrating cultural management into heritage conservation initiatives enhances social sustainability and contributes to achieving broader sustainable development goals. The research provides insights into developing sustainable and authentic tourist experiences that conserve heritage sites while fostering a sense of ownership among all stakeholders by incorporating community engagement into heritage conservation efforts. Therefore, cultural and tourism management practices and community involvement align with other policies and techniques, should be considered. This study provides new knowledge and evidence to address the challenges of contemporary cultural tourism in achieving sustainable development goals.

Key words_ cultural tourism, sustainable development goals, heritage sites, Bahrain, Sindh