World Heritage Site Designation Research Articles

Bending history into heritage at hidden Christian sites in Nagasaki, Japan: UNESCO World Heritage site designation and tourism

ABSTRACT A UNESCO World Heritage site designation is seen as a pathway to developing sustainable tourism and increasing opportunities to receive funding for the maintenance and management of the site. However, the designation of sites is often highly political with criticisms raised regarding the processes used by UNESCO. The inflexibility of selection criteria and the demand for tangible evidence of authenticity are inevitably jeopardising the selection of important heritage sites that need to be preserved. Outsider interference, distortion of historical facts, staging, and the Disneyfication of heritage are other contentions raised over how applications are manipulated to achieve a UNESCO designation. Through a qualitative narrative analysis and site visits, this paper examines the case of Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region of Japan to examine how the intervention of ICOMOS significantly altered its application for World Heritage site designation and the resulting challenges the applicants faced in satisfying the selection criteria, thereby staging their heritage for tourism in the process. Greater recognition of local voices and alternative narratives is critical in the designation process to be true to history in an age dominated by heritage.

Rethinking conservation of Malaysia world heritage site livability: The case of Chew Jetty, Penang

The designation of George Town, Penang as one of the world heritage sites has brought numerous impacts on the region and local communities. The main issue of world heritage sites includes livability and strict heritage management which produced challenges for the residents to sustain. This paper aims to study livability and heritage inheritance and rethink the conservation planning of the heritage site. It is imperative to understand the direct impact of tourism and strict rules and regulations pressure from the world heritage site designation on the livability of the residents in the heritage site and start addressing this livability issue to regain the balance and equilibrium between the residential and tourism sector. The Chew Jetty has been selected as the case study area. The research of the site is done by thorough site analysis including multiple contexts, which are historical context, physical context, sociocultural context, issues threats and challenges, and government policies and development plans using material and resources available online as well as in-depth interviews with residents. The paper shows that the conservation planning set by the authority has driven away the livability of Chew Jetty and is losing the intangible aspects of Chew Jetty.

World Heritage, Hydropower, and Earth’s Largest Freshwater Fish

The Mekong River is one of the most biodiverse, productive rivers in the world, supporting more than 1000 fish species and the livelihoods of tens of millions of people. The spatial dynamics and population status of many Mekong fish species, especially megafishes, are poorly understood. Therefore, this information is rarely incorporated into environmental risk assessments for large infrastructure projects, such as mainstream hydropower developments, which have been accelerating rapidly in the Mekong Basin. In this study, we present initial findings from the ongoing, collaborative, transnational acoustic telemetry monitoring of nearly 300 tagged fishes representing 27 species, which yield important insights into the potential impacts that proposed hydropower dams would have on populations of ecologically and economically important fish species. Included in these data are more than ten months of hydrophone records tracking the location of a 300 kg giant freshwater stingray, Urogymnus polylepis (Bleeker, 1852), currently the world’s largest known freshwater fish, used to detect its migration behavior and distribution patterns. The telemetry data, combined with fisher surveys used to gather local ecological knowledge, provide evidence that the proposed dams would fragment the existing populations of this iconic species as well as those of other fish species that support river food web balance and local food systems. Furthermore, the existence of giant freshwater stringray populations and other unique megafauna reinforces the universal natural heritage value of the stretch of the Mekong River between the Lao People’s Democratic Republic/Cambodia border and the city of Kratie. This stretch of river is located between two proposed megadams, the 900 MW Stung Treng Dam and the 2300 MW Sambor Dam. However, the Cambodian Ministry of Environment has also proposed this area for designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (Biosphere Reserve). The documentation of the movement of migratory fishes through this reach of the river using acoustic telemetry, the surprising discovery of the world’s largest freshwater fish, the potential threat posed by dam construction, and the management ramifications of UNESCO World Heritage Site designation underscore the importance of scientific research and community involvement in landscape-scale development decisions. The decisions made today will affect the fate of this global biodiversity hotspot, the world’s most productive inland fisheries, and the livelihoods of millions of people throughout the Lower Mekong Basin.

Impact of changing environmental scenario on biodiversity of mangrove forest of Sundarbans Delta Region, India

Sundarbans is the world’s largest contiguous mangrove forest and is a designated world heritage site, shared by India and Bangladesh, it is home to several species including tigers. The habitat supports approximately 4.37 million people. Mangrove ecosystem is a unique, fragile, highly productive ecosystem in the sea-land interphase, is the conglomerations of plants, animals and microorganisms acclimatized in the fluctuating environment of tropical intertidal zone. This ecosystem is a highly valued ecosystem in terms of economy, environment and ecology. This mangrove ecosystem of Indian subcontinent is well known not only for the aerial extent, but also for the species diversity. The biodiversity of Sundarbans includes numerous species of phytoplankton, zooplankton, microorganisms, benthic invertebrates, molluscs, amphibians and mammals. As per the research conducted it is believed that the Sundarbans have soaked in 4.15 crore tonnes of carbon dioxide. But the scenario has been changed during past few decades. Due to climate change the Sundarbans faces several challenges. Recorded data shows that a huge number of flora and fauna were compelled to be eliminated due to the consequences of climate change during the last century. Climate change components that affect mangroves and its inhabitants include changes in sea-level, high-water events, storminess, precipitation, temperature, atmospheric CO2 concentration and ocean circulation patterns. The study was conducted to identify the threats on the diversity and its effect on the socio-economic condition of the local community. With risk of the Sundarbans submerging, there is an urgent need for global reduction of emissions and replacement of fossil fuels with renewable energy.

The impact of national park and UNESCO world heritage site designations on visit intentions: evidence from a randomised experiment

Existing research finds inconclusive evidence of tourism benefits of designating new National Parks (NP) and UNESCO World Heritage sites (WHS). This research advances this ongoing discussion by using a randomised experiment to test causal effects of these common protected area designations on future visit intention among domestic tourists in Australia. It also tests for moderating effects exerted by tourist beliefs and advertising strategy. The study finds that NP and WHS declarations significantly increase the likelihood of visitation, but the added value of declaring a WHS above NP is insignificant on a domestic tourism market. Tourists’ attitudes towards protected areas significantly moderate these effects, whereas effects related to advertising strategy are negligible. The paper makes significant contributions because it is the first in this area to: (a) use randomisation in the design to produce robust causal conclusions; (b) compare NP and WHS designations; and (c) scrutinise the role of advertising strategy.

Stored Carbon in the Mangrove Vegetation of Lothian Wild Life Sanctuary of Indian Sundarbans, the Designated World Heritage Site

A study was undertaken at Lothian Wild Life Sanctuary of Indian Sundarbans to estimate the stored carbon in the mangrove vegetation of the island. 34 true mangrove species were documented from the island, but on the basis of criterion DBH > 5 cm, only 26 species were selected for the estimation. We focused on the stem biomass and the carbon locked in this compartment as the other above ground structures (like leaves, twigs and branches) are converted into litter and act as relatively temporary sink of carbon. Stem carbon exhibited direct proportionality with stem biomass in all the species. The total biomass of the documented species (except those whose DBH values are less than 5 cm) was 164.24 t ha<sup>-1</sup>. The stored carbon in the stem region of these species was 74.18 t ha<sup>-1</sup>, which is equivalent to 272.25 tonnes of carbon dioxide. This study concludes the carbon sequestration potential of blue carbon ecosystems such as Mangroves are humongous and can be a potential answer to climate change mitigation.

The effect of a UNESCO world heritage site designation on willingness to pay to preserve an agri-environmental good: The case of the dry stone walls in Mt. Etna

In this paper, we explored the role that an authoritative institution can have on influencing how people perceive the importance of safeguarding environmental goods. We assessed how the recent UNESCO’s designation of the dry-stone walls in Mt. Etna (Sicily-Italy) as a World Heritage Site can affect Sicilian consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) to preserve them. By referring to the concept of “appeal to authority”, we examined whether providing information about this recent UNESCO decision could influence public’s WTP to preserve the dry-stone walls of Mt Etna. Through a contingent valuation survey experiment, we found that respondents value the preservation of the dry-stone walls but only when respondents are informed about UNESCO’s decision that the WTP was sufficient enough to compensate farmers for the loss of income derived from maintaining the dry-stone walls. Our findings highlight the importance of information sent by an authoritative institution on reducing the effects of uncertainty in the valuation of environmental goods due to the unfamiliarity of such goods among people. Our results have important implications for policy makers as the role of institutions like UNESCO in increasing people’s WTP could increase awareness about the benefits of environmental goods’ preservation. A limitation of our study is that it is based on stated preferences. Future studies should also examine the effect of information on consumers’ WTP for preserving environmental goods with other methodological approach and in other geographical contexts.

The Attractiveness of Quebec's Heritage Sites in The Era of Covid-19

UNESCO World Heritage site designation is an opportunity to achieve international status. Studies have demonstrated that many of these sites are major attractions to international visitors and first-time visitors. While Covid-19 has limited international mobility during 2020, this study aims to understand how those responsible for tourism and World Heritage sites have communicated the heritage of the Historic District of Old Quebec (Canada) to local and national visitors. To measure tourist attractiveness, the study analyzed publications posted on Instagram during the summer of 2020. Strategies for diffusion revealed an approach to enhance natural sites more than cultural heritage.

Indigenous Cultural Heritage: Developing New Approaches and Best Practices for World Heritage Based on Indigenous Perspectives and Values

In support of advancing the recognition and inclusion of Indigenous Cultural Heritage in all its diverse forms within the UNESCO World Heritage Convention and World Heritage Site designations, this paper documents and discusses the presentations, Indigenous-led Forum, and recommendations and outcomes of the International Conference on Indigenous Cultural Heritage organized by the ICOMOS International Scientific Committee on Theory and Philosophy of Restoration and Conservation in partnership with the First Nations House of Learning, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, in November 2019.

The social value of heritage: Balancing the promotion-preservation relationship in the Altamira World Heritage Site, Spain

The designation of World Heritage Sites (WHSs) by UNESCO strengthens the international and national image of heritage destinations in the growing market of cultural tourism. Understanding how different stakeholders interpret the value of cultural heritage is one of the most important assets for balancing the promotion and protection of WHSs. This study draws on the case of the Altamira Prehistoric Cave WHS (Spain), whose preservation is under threat and constant debate. It explores factors determining the social value of heritage, namely: existence, aesthetic, economic, and legacy value. In doing so, this paper contributes to emerging debates on heritage management and tourist destinations. Data were collected using two surveys, one focused on visitors, with a total of 1047 valid surveys, and another on the Spanish population as a WHS host community, with a total of 1000 valid surveys. The analysis of these surveys shows how the existence, aesthetic, economic and legacy value dimensions of cultural heritage can build up brands around WHSs. The social-value dimension of cultural heritage therefore affects the market potential of WHSs, whose market potential is closely related to the education levels of a given society. These findings provide valuable information and insights for academics, destination managers and policy-makers in the debate about the preservation and tourism branding of Altamira. This will allow different stakeholders to identify opportunities to develop synergies between tourism promotion and heritage preservation, to both strengthen the brand image of a WHS and preserve its heritage.

Dark tourism and World Heritage Sites: a Delphi study of stakeholder perceptions of the development of dark tourism products

ABSTRACT Dark tourism has attracted increasing academic attention, but the extent to which it exists as a separate form of tourism from heritage tourism is not yet clear. Despite the growth of UNESCO World Heritage Site designations, little research has considered the relationship between dark tourism and World Heritage Sites. Because the development of dark tourism is beset with ethical concerns, heritage professionals can have negative perceptions about the acceptability or attractiveness of it for the sites that they are involved in managing. This research used a qualitative Delphi Panel method to evaluate stakeholder perceptions of the potential development of dark tourism to the Greenwich Maritime World Heritage Site in London, United Kingdom. The findings show that stakeholders are broadly supportive of tourism to the site and positive about future tourism growth. Despite this, they did not support the development of dark tourism to the site because it was perceived as inauthentic, tacky and sensationalist. In order to address this issue, recommendations are made that future attempts to develop dark tourism at WHS should involve enhancing the knowledge of stakeholders about dark tourism, and of the resources within their sites that could be included in a dark tourism offer to tourists.

Effect ranges of underwater noise from anchor vibration operations in the Wadden Sea

Anchor pipe vibration embedment operations during the construction of seed mussel collectors were performed in the Wadden Sea, a designated World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2009. We recorded 200 min of underwater noise during the construction of seven anchor pipes. Underwater noise was recorded simultaneously at three positions with a water depth of 9 m with increasing distance to the construction site to assess the disturbance potential to the marine fauna. The recorded vibration embedment noise was a continuous sound with durations of 2–55 s, with most energy below 1 kHz and peak frequencies around 900 Hz. Background noise level at a distance of approximately 1 km increased around 13 dB at frequencies between 800 and 1000 Hz. We estimated the sound propagation by a non-linear logarithmic regression by means of the intercept, slope and attenuation factor, which allowed us to evaluate the received sound levels that reach an animal in certain distances from the construction site. The estimated sound exposure level (SEL) of the source was 148.2 dB re 1 μPa2s and the median SEL ranged from 120 to 99 dB re 1 μPa2s at distances between 394 and 2288 m, respectively. Behavioural thresholds for indigenous species of marine mammals in the Wadden Sea as well as representative fish species were used to determine effect radii of vibration embedment noise. Our study showed that the detected anchor pipe vibration embedment noise might exert a behavioural reaction on a local scale. Marine mammals could be affected by the construction operations up to a distance of 375 m and fish up to a distance of 766 m. These zones of responsiveness for vibration embedment operations are relatively small, compared to pile driving, which is regularly used during construction operations. Our study shows that it is important to monitor and assess any kind of noise introduction to verify, whether a sustainable human use with respect to the complied guidelines is ensured without affecting the marine fauna. That is the first step to maintain a good environmental status as implemented in the MSFD.

The Inn of the Tongue of Italy for the Hospitaller knights in Rhodes

SUMMARYThe identification of a building on Rhodes as the Hospitaller Inn of the Tongue of Italy has been subject to doubt and is contested by some scholars. This article sheds light on this question and brings new evidence from architectural, archaeological, 19th-century photographic, and manuscript sources. Some as yet unidentified structures appear to be property of the Tongue of Italy. Regarding the building in question, it was built in 1519 and likely stands on land previously occupied by the former mansion house of Fabrizio del Carretto, when he was admiral of the Order of Rhodes from 1509 to 1513.The doubts expressed about this structure, whether it should be considered as the Inn of Italy, are not well-founded. The house with the arms of Fabrizio del Carretto in the Street of the Knights can be identified as the Inn of the Tongue of Italy, as it was part of the Italian ‘Auberge’ housing some of its functions, in other words part of several buildings owned by this Tongue: the Inn of the knights, the private houses of the successive chiefs of the Tongue who held the office of admiral, the mansion houses for one or more priors from Italy, when they were at Rhodes, and the auxiliary buildings belonging to the Tongue of Italy. Today part of the historic centre of the town of Rhodes a designated World Heritage Site by UNESCO, this monument presents a significant multi-disciplinary dimension. It was built by a Christian military and religious Order. For almost four centuries, it was an Ottoman house, and the ground floor was converted into a grocery and tobacco store. By the beginning of the 20th century, after it was restored, its medieval architecture was highlighted. Today, it houses the Service of the Direction of the Medieval Town of Rhodes. Despite the fact that this structure went through different uses during the last five centuries, it stands as a most worthy-of-consideration example for intercultural identity.

The Impact of World Heritage Site Designation on Local Communities- The Al-Salt City as a Predicted Case Study

The City of Salt As the sixth Jordanian site in the list of World Heritage sites, there is many efforts have been devoted to include the city of Salt in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to be nominated in the list of World Heritage Sites as it is an ancient city that has many historical, urban and archaeological qualifications in the distant and recent past, also with considering the natural qualifications of the city. The inclusion of the city of Salt in the list of World Heritage sites raises many questions about the possibility of achieving this achievement, and the implications of the local community based on this inclusion, whether the positive or negative effects in aspects of Economic, social, behavioral, political. Also considering the community and tourists vision of the state of the world heritage site in the city and its support to this status, and highlighting the role played by Salt in the development of tourism in the case if it takes a place in the World Heritage List, this paper will be examined through several previous studies in this framework, and will develop expected results for these impacts on the local community accordingly.

Development of an Augmented Reality Tour Guide for a Cultural Heritage Site

In this article, the design, development, and evaluation of augmented reality (AR)-based mobile application for a tour guide are discussed. The objectives of this article are twofold. First, the research focuses on the development of a complete working set of a mobile tour application furnished with AR. For such an application to be successfully adopted by the general public, user requirements and application usability are investigated, and the application is designed and implemented to fulfill those findings. Second, the developed application is demonstrated by applying it to a UNESCO designated World Heritage site, Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon, South Korea, and evaluated via a survey instrument developed explicitly for mobile application evaluation. A systematically developed survey instrument from the fields of tourism, information systems, and human-computer interaction is tailored to fit into this research and employed for the application evaluation. The application’s operation flow consists of three main functions: navigation to the points of interest, visualization of information with AR technology, and interactive learning activities with AR-based serious games. Efforts are made to provide a more immersive and interactive experience of the historical, cultural, and architectural details of the heritage site utilizing novel AR visualization methods. The evaluation returned positive results with suggestions of possible refinements for future works. The proposed device-aided tour mechanism is anticipated to enhance tourists’ experiences as well as being important guidance in future mobile tourism application development as to how the application should be designed and implemented to be accepted by the general public.

Assessment of Local People Opinion After World Heritage Site Designation, Case Study: Historic City of Yazd, Iran

Local participation in the cultural heritage conservation has always been a concern since the Venice Charter (1964). It seems the assumption of the World Heritage Center, and particularly their State Parties, is that local people living in a nominated site are willing to inscribe their properties on the World Heritage List. This research examines the points of view of a local community living in the buffer zone of the Historic City of Yazd in five categories: Willingness, quality of life, decision-making, benefits, and awareness after the designation as World Heritage Site. The main hypotheses are that local people did not agree to inscribe their properties on the World Heritage List, and their quality of life has not changed after registering. The methodology is based on both qualitative and quantitative methods by interviewing 400 people of both genders and different ages. The results show that the majority of local people living in the buffer zone were not satisfied to be on the list. In addition, more than 80% mentioned that the quality of life did not change at all after the inscription. There was a misunderstanding about the role of national and international organizations in World Heritage management and conservation among the local community.

Does Designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site Influence Tourist Evaluation of a Local Destination?

The purpose of this study is to explore whether the UNESCO World Heritage Site (WHS) designation affects tourists’ evaluation of the local destination hosting the site, building on a large sample of about 0.8 million tourists who visited Italy over the period 1997–2015. We find that the inscription onto the UNESCO World Heritage List exerts surprisingly a negative effect on the overall evaluation of the destination and also on the evaluation of its artistic assets though the magnitude of the latter is lower. The effect is heterogeneous across visitors, depending on evaluation levels, as well as origin/destinations and demographics. Nonetheless, the presence of multiple WHSs in the same destination tends to increase evaluation, suggesting that destination stakeholders with previous experience in dealing with WHS designations are better equipped to manage the complicated relationship between tourism and preservation. Managerial and policy-making implications are discussed.

Mud and metal; the impact of historical mining on the estuaries of SW England, UK

Visitors and residents alike enjoy the countryside and coast of SW England because of the stunning landscapes and natural environment. Many will also be aware, largely through the industrial archaeological record and world heritage site designation, of the historical importance of mining in this region. Separate mineralization episodes, primarily during the Permian and Triassic, led to the formation of a world‐class polymetallic ore field, with major deposits of not only tin (Sn) and copper (Cu), but also iron (Fe), lead (Pb), arsenic (As), zinc (Zn), tungsten (W) and silver (Ag), along with minor occurrences of less common metals such as uranium (U), antimony (Sb), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), bismuth (Bi) and gold (Au). Mining of alluvial deposits commenced in the Bronze Age, with hard rock mining commencing by the late thirteenth century and continuing intermittently, as metal prices rose and fell, to the present day. With hard rock mining, came the processing or ‘dressing’ of ores during which they were crushed so that minerals of interest could be recovered. The wastes from this process—mine tailings—were historically released into rivers and transported towards the coast as man‐made sediments. Deposition occurred in many of the estuaries around SW England, which consequently preserve a record of the development and historical impact of mining.

Salinity: A primary growth driver of mangrove forest

The biomass of three dominant mangrove species (Sonneratia apetala, Avicennia alba and Excoecaria agallocha) in the Indian Sundarbans, the designated World Heritage Site was evaluated to understand whether the biomass vary with spatial locations (western region vs. central region) and with seasons (pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon). The reasons for selecting these two regions and seasons are the contrasting variation in salinity. Among the three studied species, Sonneratia apetala showed the maximum biomass followed by Avicennia alba and Excoecaria agallocha. We also observed that the biomass varied significantly with spatial locations (p<0.05), but not with seasons. The variation may be attributed to different environmental conditions to which these forest patches are exposed to.

Salinity: A Primary Growth Driver of Mangrove Flora

<p class=MsoNormalCxSpFirst style=margin-left:.25in;mso-add-space:auto; text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1> 1. <span style=font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family: times= new= roman;color:black;mso-themecolor:text1=>Abstract The biomass of three dominant mangrove species ( Sonneratiaapetala , Avicennia alba and Excoecariaagallocha ) in the Indian Sundarbans, the designated World Heritage Site was evaluated to understand whether the biomass vary with spatial locations (western region vs. central region) and with seasons (pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon). The reasons for selecting these two regions and seasons are the contrasting variation in salinity. Although several other environmental variables do have impact on mangrove growth and survival, but their uniformity in these two sectors has lead us to nullify and ignore their regulatory roles. Among the three studied species, Sonneratiaapetala showed the maximum biomass followed by Avicennia alba and Excoecariaagallocha . We also observed that the biomass varied significantly with spatial locations (p<0.05), but not with seasons. The variation may be attributed to different environmental conditions to which these forest patches are exposed to. <p class=MsoNormalCxSpMiddle style=margin-left:.25in;mso-add-space:auto; text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none> 2. <span style=font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family: times= new= roman;color:black;mso-themecolor:text1=>Keywords <span style=font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family: times= new= roman;color:black;mso-themecolor:text1=>: Biomass;Indian Sundarbans; Mangroves; Salinity