Product diversification in sustainable tourism: demand, host-community support and supply readiness

Silk Road legacy destinations are increasingly under pressure to diversify their product mix, but rarely do they combine visitor demand, local attitudes and supply-side capabilities in a single empirical study. This research fills that gap using mixed methodologies. The study triangulated three streams of evidence: a cross-sectional tourist survey ( n = 103), a host-community survey ( n = 69), and an expert-based multi-criteria preparedness assessment of 17 recreational and wellness facilities, complemented by a documented inventory of regional resources. Findings show that Bukhara is almost solely associated with a historical and cultural product, while health and event-based products are peripheral. Nonetheless, visitors showed substantial latent interest in heritage-related experiential items–a Silk and Spices festival, gastronomic events, historical re-enactment, and traditional music. Residents supported development, citing job and commercial benefits. Structural impediments persist: only one assessed facility reached the highest readiness category and awareness of existing events pre-arrival was minimal, reinforcing that demand and community goodwill currently outstrip institutional and physical readiness. Scientifically, this research adds to the existing knowledge base in sustainable tourism by being the first to simultaneously and empirically assess demand pull, social license and supply readiness for product diversification in a Central Asian Silk Road destination, resulting in a diagnostic framework that can be replicated in similar heritage settings.

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