Resident well-being and perceptions of World Heritage Site management: divide between urban and rural WHSs

Abstract

ABSTRACT This comparative case study focuses on residents’ subjective well-being (SWB) and their perceptions of conservation and tourism in two prominent World Heritage Sites (WHSs) in Turkey, i.e. (rural) Cappadocia and (urban) Istanbul’s Historical Peninsula, to evaluate them in tandem with their governance frameworks. A modified SWB survey instrument is administered to residents in both WHSs. The most notable differences in SWB surface in community, environment, and standard of living domains favouring Cappadocia – underlining tourism’s varied influence on SWB domains in rural and urban settings. While the perceived association between conservation and tourism is stronger in Cappadocia, Istanbul’s residents view conservation more positively. These differences point towards conservation’s perceived instrumental role in facilitating tourism development in rural WHSs and the disconnection of urban WHS residents from conservation efforts and tourism management. Our findings suggest SWB may complement tourism impact analysis and build a bridge between residents, policymakers, and administrators. Addressing the disconnection between residents and tourism and conservation-related frameworks and initiatives to increase resident awareness of heritage value are suggested as potential contributors to the long-term viability of WHSs as heritage tourism destinations.