Factors influencing local residents’ intentions to conserve the built heritage in Tanzania

Conservation of built heritage, such as the Stone Town of Zanzibar, is driven by both cognitive and affective factors. A study combining the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) with Affection-Based Attachment Theory (AT) found that attitudes toward conservation, perceived social pressure, perceived control over conservation, and emotional attachment to heritage all significantly influence local residents' intentions to conserve built heritage in Tanzania. Structural Equation Modeling analysis of cross-sectional questionnaire data from three historic towns—Stone Town, Kilwa Kivinje, and Pangani—supported the integration of TPB with AT as a robust framework for understanding conservation behavior. This approach highlights that effective heritage conservation strategies must address both rational cognitive processes and emotional connections to heritage.

Lwoga, N. B. (2016). Factors influencing local residents’ intentions to conserve the built heritage in Tanzania. Journal of Heritage Tourism, 12(4), 394–409. https://doi.org/10.1080/1743873x.2016.1213846