Resetting Cultural Heritage Policy and Management Practice - Moderating Mass Tourism in Post-Pandemic Times

Abstract

ABSTRACT Before the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, mass tourism was the main driver for the unusual growth of tourist accommodations in World Heritage Cities (WHC). This paper investigates how the mass tourism pause due to the pandemic can be considered an opportunity for resetting cultural heritage policy and management practice in WHC. Selecting the Historic Centers of Siena and Florence as the case studies, we explain how the two cities experienced an unusual increase in tourist accommodation before the pandemic. By reviewing scenarios for the COVID-19 virus outbreak in Italy, we argue insights for a new cultural heritage policy and management framework that can effectively moderate mass tourism in WHC. Our findings suggest the new policies should be initiated based on a multi-sectoral and multi-level approaches in planning practice. By creating a dynamic tourism map on the macro level, international cultural heritage and tourism organisations may agree on policies that mitigate tourist flows in vulnerable WHC. On the micro-level, there is a demand for regional directives that monitor the growth of tourist accommodations in WHC. Furthermore, local communities’ engagement in decision-making may open new opportunities to work more collaboratively on the social or environmental challenges that exist in WHC.