Management Of World Heritage Sites Research Articles

Management of World Heritage Sites: A Case Study of Historic Cairo

Management of World Heritage Sites: A Case Study of Historic Cairo

Peculiarities of legal protection of natural world heritage sites in Australia on the example of the Great Barrier Reef

The study examines the practice of legal protection of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Site located in Australia. It reflects the main content of the decisions of the World Heritage Committee and the International Union for Conservation of Nature on the protection of the Great Barrier Reef, looks at the features of its management as a World Heritage Site (hereinafter also - WHS), as well as regulatory and organisational solutions aimed at preventing threats to the ecological state of the Great Barrier Reef WHS. The analysis of the legal framework and practice of protection of World Heritage Sites allows to conclude that some elements of the Australian experience can be used to strengthen the institutional and legal framework of the environmental regime of Lake Baikal. The proposal to develop a management plan for the Lake Baikal World Heritage Site in accordance with the requirements and standards of the World Heritage protection system, as well as to adopt special strategic development plans has been formulated. According to the authors, to ensure the effective development of specific management decisions, it is necessary to establish normatively the general principles of management plan formation. Based on the practice of engaging local communities in the management of World Heritage Sites and Australian experience of organising Marine Advisory Committees, the authors have verbalized a proposal to create an Advisory Council of representatives of various spheres of society, operating in the territory of the Lake Baikal World Heritage Site, environmental organisations and representatives of the public.

Scientific and methodological approaches to the study, restoration and museumification of the estate of Svetoslav Roerich and Devika Rani «TatagunI» in India (Karnataka)

Based on the analysis of Russian and international experience in working with cultural and natural heritage, the basic approaches and principles of the study, conservation, revitalization and museumification of the manor complex of Svetoslav Roerich and Devika Rani «Tataguni» (India, Karnataka) were substantiated; priority works determined. Positive experience of Russia in the development of strategies for the development and application of the concept of the cultural landscape for the creation and strengthening of museums-reserves and museums-estates, in the ecological survey of heritage sites was considered. UNESCO approaches to the management of World Heritage Sites and prospective planning of their activities have been identified. Activities to preserve the memorial estate will be one of the factors in strengthening Russian-Indian culturalties.

Applying the Experience of International Legal Protection of Belovezhskaya Forest to the Development of the Baikal Region Environmental Activities

The paper is structured by grouping environmental issues common to various World Heritage sites, including Belovezhskaya Forest and Lake Baikal. The paper highlights the problems of defining the boundaries of World Heritage Site (WHS); the WHS management practice; methods used in protection of the Belovezhskaya Forest to ensure the participation of the local population in the conservation of the WHS; issues of management and conservation of biodiversity on the territory of the WHS. In conclusion, the authors formulate proposals aimed at improving the conservation of Lake Baikal World Heritage site. In particular, it is concluded that among the immediate interests of the local population of the central ecological zone of the Baikal natural territory (especially those involved in the organization of the tourism business) is the popularization of the World Heritage protection regime, along with obstruction of the implementation of proposals to reduce the boundaries of the World Heritage site (including through the erroneous differentiation of the concepts «site» and «region» of the World Heritage). The prospects for using legal methods of interaction between public institutions and government authorities are indicated, including making proposals in accordance with the procedure established by law to improve the management of a World Heritage Site, as well as through the creation of advisory councils of local populations and indigenous peoples.

Threat Perception and Adaptive Capacity of Natural World Heritage Site Management

This study offers new insights into the largest threats to natural and mixed World Heritage sites in developed countries as considered by their management. In addition to this, the capacity of the management to deal with threats is examined. An Ordered Probit model is used that distinguishes three groups of threats and four categories of adaptive capacity of the management. Data originate from the 2014 UNESCO Periodic Report II for sites in economically advanced countries (Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea) linked to the World Heritage Site database. Estimation results reveal that the probability of a major threat to World Heritage sites is perceived to be highest in the category of climate change and extreme weather events, followed by local conditions affecting the physical structure (temperature, rain, dust). Sites in tropical climates are perceived as significantly more threatened, as are those earlier listed as in danger. The likelihood of perceiving a major threat is highest in Turkey, Italy, Norway and North America. Threats related to climate change are those the management has the lowest capacity to deal with when other important aspects are controlled for. Large and natural areas have a higher perceived administrative capacity to deal with threats than others.

Stimulus-Organism-Response Framework: Is the Perceived Outstanding Universal Value Attractiveness of Tourists Beneficial to World Heritage Site Conservation?

Tourists have been attracted to world heritage sites (WHSs) by their Outstanding Universal Value (OUV). In view of the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework and the theory of attitude and behavior, by employing 563 tourist samples from Mount Sanqingshan National Park, and using structural equation modeling, we examine tourist behavioral intention for heritage conservation, and the following conclusions were drawn: (1) the S-O-R theory revealed the behavioral intentions of tourists to protect WHSs; (2) as a stimulus, tourists' value perception and destination attachment were positively affected by the OUV attractiveness, and their perceived value had a positive influence on heritage conservation, although the hypothesis of destination attachment to heritage conservation was not supported; (3) heritage-conservation education and knowledge positively influenced tourists' behavioral intentions towards heritage protection, and tourists' heritage protection attitude had a positive influence on their behavioral intention; and (4) a framework of the influence mechanism for tourists' heritage conservation based on the S-O-R theory was proposed, while tourists' cognitive and affective attitudes impacted on heritage protection intention which, in turn, further enhanced the tourists' perception of the OUV. Conclusively, the measures and implications were proposed for improving conservation and management of WHSs, in particular to achieve the sustainable development of the tourist industry and world heritage sites.

A post-pandemic look at short-term tourist accommodations and World Heritage Site management

ABSTRACT Overtourism is a novel and complicated phenomenon that has hastened the rapid expansion of short-term tourist accommodations (STTA) in many European art cities. This study aims to establish a link between the rapid growth of the STTA and the likely dissemination of novel COVID-19 variations in World Heritage Sites (WHS). Using a comparative case study method, we assert that the atypical evolution of STTA renders WHS more vulnerable to novel COVID-19 variations. The findings highlight that until there are no feasible multi-sectoral and multi-level approaches to management, policy agreements on what overtourism means, and measuring tools for the proper number of visitors, the STTA issue persists, which makes WHS more vulnerable to novel COVID-19 variations in the post-pandemic time.

Satisfaction of Tourism Communities in World Heritage Sites based on Residents’ Perceptions—Study Area of Mount Sanqingshan National Park, PRC

Tourist communities have enjoyed the benefits of tourist development in various regions and have paid the associated costs, resulting in different attitudes towards tourism development in World Heritage Sites. On this basis, this study takes the Mount Sanqingshan National Park, a World Natural Heritage site, collects 330 examples of perceptions of residents of tourism communities, relies on social exchange theory and community participation theory, uses structural equation modeling as a technical methodology, and constructs a conceptual model, including perceived benefits and costs, community satisfaction, and place attachment as mediating variables from the view of tourism’s social, economic, environmental, and heritage protection impacts. The study shows that: first, the perceptions of benefits have a significant positive influence on place attachment and community satisfaction; second, the perceived cost has a significant negative influence on place attachment, and a negative influence on community satisfaction does not hold true; third, place attachment has a full mediating effect on tourist cost perception and satisfaction, a partial mediating effect on tourist benefit perception and satisfaction, and a significant positive effect on community satisfaction. Finally, we propose the ‘SHE-ABC’ framework of WHS tourist community satisfaction based on the perspectives of heritage tourism impact perception and place attachment. The results of the study have theoretical value and practical guidance to sustainable development, tourist industry, and community management of World Heritage Sites.

World Heritage Discourses and the Potential of Conceptualizing Water

Conceptualizing water and heritage together is a key challenge. Only in recent years has heritage management started to embrace sustainable development in the context of heritage preservation. The UNESCO Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach and policy recommendations for sustainable development integration exemplify this recent development. This contribution examines World Heritage discourses through the lenses of water and heritage as a system. It specifically explores the relation between World Heritage management and water management of World Heritage sites. In doing so, it aims to reinforce the role of water and water management in the World Heritage framework, both in terms of theory and process. It concludes with a call for a stronger acknowledgment of water management as part of good practices for World Heritage sites and their management.

RAZUMIJEVANJE SLOŽENOSTI PROCJENE EKONOMSKOG UTJECAJA KULTURNE BAŠTINE NA EKONOMSKU ODRŽIVOST TURISTIČKE DESTINACIJE: SLUČAJ SPLITA, HRVATSKA

The purpose of this conceptual study is to define the possibilities and constraints of assessing the economic impact of tangible cultural heritage on the economic sustainability of a tourism destination. To achieve this goal, the following were critically analysed: (1) strengths and limitations of previously used assessment approaches and techniques; and (2) sustainable development indicators for urban tourism destinations that contain world-class cultural heritage sites. The case study used in this research is an urban cultural heritage site listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, namely the Historical Complex of Split with the Palace of Diocletian, Croatia, and the associated tourism destination setting. Observational and case study methods were used. Despite all previous efforts to prevent miscalculations and develop a technique that would best suit the tangible cultural heritage valuation process, findings suggest that each cultural heritage site has unique characteristics and requires its own approach to assessing its value and impact. Moreover, such findings have further implications for the UNESCO World Heritage List and the management of World Heritage sites.

Sustainability dimensions and World Heritage Site management: the case of the Royal Alcazar of Seville, Spain

The management of a World Heritage Site must have an intergenerational and sustainable perspective that leads to the development and implementation of policies for its sustainability. The purpose of this research is to expand knowledge on whether and how World Heritage Sites include sustainability dimensions in their management processes. Sustainability is envisioned as a multifaceted concept made up of financial, heritage, sociocultural, and environmental perspectives. A case study has been carried out at the Royal Alcazar of Seville, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. The findings highlight how sustainability dimensions intertwine with its management system. They also indicate that the financial and heritage dimensions are those that remain the most developed and that sociocultural and environmental dimensions are gaining prominence in management processes. Managers of other heritage sites can benefit from this research by acknowledging the role that all dimensions of sustainability play in the management processes of their organisations.

Scrutinising community-held knowledge transfer into world heritage site management plans: a multidisciplinary method

PurposeThe UNESCO World Heritage Committee requires management plans for world heritage site (WHS) nominations including the evidence of involvement of all stakeholders. Many studies report different engagement methods to ensure the participation of the local communities in these plans. However, this study aims to assess and gauge the community-held knowledge transfer and the quality of their contribution to heritage management plans by proposing an interdisciplinary method.Design/methodology/approachThe method had been developed to scrutinise community-held knowledge transfer in WHS management plans, combining the domains of knowledge representation with qualitative social research.FindingsLocal knowledge transferred into WHS management plans is poor. The proposed method gauged three levels of community knowledge transfer to WHS. The method enables results to be quantified and the process to be reproducible. The method can be used to quality control the design of WHS management plans. The method can be used to inform evaluation protocols to be developed by UNESCO.Practical implicationsThe proposed method can be used to inform evaluation protocols to be developed by ICOMOS and IUCN, which safeguard holistic aspects of heritage in WHS management plans.Originality/valueThe method provides reproducible, quantifiable results from clear premises. Despite being applied to a case study in Turkey, it can be adjusted to any context as WHS management plans tend to follow a standard format. It, therefore, provides a tool to quality control the design of these plans.

Upscaling Local Adaptive Heritage Practices to Internationally Designated Heritage Sites

World Heritage Sites can face an onslaught of risks from high tourist numbers, climate changes, the impacts of conflict and war, and static management practices. These sites have been ascribed a value that is considered both outstanding and universal (OUV) and as such they are placed at a higher prioritisation than all other heritage sites. The aim of this listing is to ensure their protection for future generations. Yet, the management practices enacted under this preservation mandate can be reactive rather than proactive and reflective, overly concerned with maintaining the status quo, and restricted by a complexity of national and international regulations and stakeholders. We here introduce a local-scale, community-driven heritage project, called CHICC, that offers, we argue, a useful insight into management practices that may be upscaled to internationally designated sites. Although this is not a blueprint to fit all heritage needs, some of the fundamental intentions embedded within CHICC can and perhaps should be adopted in the approaches to internationally designated site management. These include inclusivity with the local community as a priority stakeholder, a deeper understanding of the site including its future risks, consideration of the wider heritage landscape, and greater incorporation of heritage dynamism. Through analysing and evaluating the case study project, this conceptual chapter argues that adaptive heritage practices are underway in some local-scale contexts, and this can be a useful template for advancing the management of World Heritage Sites.

Sustainable tourism

Current approach to the management of World Heritage sites and the associated tourism is not always effective. Indeed, operators of Chteau de Versailles, Alhambra, and Vatican Palace trade-off visitors’ revenues against damage to these sites. We study the effective dynamic behavior of a firm managing a heritage site. In an optimal control model, the operator sets pricing and heritage conservation policies. Heritage sites benefit from spending on conservation but are deteriorated by large numbers of visitors. Visitor numbers increase with the attractiveness of the site but decrease with the entrance fee. Our results characterize optimal pricing and heritage conservation policies over time and provide a stronger foundation for sustainable tourism policies.

How Might World Heritage Status Support the Protection of Sacred Natural Sites? An Analysis of Nomination Files, Management, and Governance Contexts

This study provides an overview of how sacred natural sites are given recognition within the World Heritage system. It offers an analysis of the extent to which sacred natural sites that are part of nine World Heritage sites are recognised in site nomination files, management plans, and governance of these sites. The World Heritage sites are located across all continents except for Antarctica. We analysed sites in Australia, Greece, Guatemala, India, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, New Zealand and the Russian Federation. We found that the cultural and spiritual significance of sacred natural sites is under-recognised, especially in natural World Heritage sites. In addition, Indigenous and religious custodians are frequently excluded from site management and governance. We make four recommendations for improving the recognition of sacred natural sites and the involvement of their custodians in the World Heritage process and in site nomination, governance, and management: (1) identification and recognition of sacred natural sites including their associated cultural and spiritual values; (2) recognition of, and articulated roles for custodians of sacred natural sites in the governance and management of World Heritage sites; (3) increased uptake of religious groups and Indigenous Peoples’ conservation approaches to the joint management of World Heritage sites that contain sacred natural sites, and (4) prevention of exclusion of custodians and ecological migration by applying inclusive conservation practices through rights-based approaches.

Проблемы охраны объектов всемирного наследия в России и за рубежом (на примере озера Байкал и национального парка «Плитвицкие озера»)

The practice of protecting the World Heritage site “Plitvice Lakes” National Park is considered. The criteria for its inscription in the World Heritage List are revealed. Attention is drawn to the main problems related to the legal and organizational protection of the object. The main content of the conclusions of the decisions of the World Heritage Committee on the protection of the “Plitvice Lakes” National Park is revealed. Parallels are drawn with the main threats to the ecological state of Lake Baikal. One of the acute and underestimated threats is the preservation of authentic Baikal landscapes. Given the insufficiency of the provisions of domestic legislation to achieve these goals, the conclusion is drawn about the possibility of using the provisions of the Convention on the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage to prevent the construction of objects that clearly violate the existing landscape within the boundaries of the World Heritage site. The conclusion is drawn about the expediency of the Russian Federation’s consent to be bound by the European Landscape Convention in order to develop domestic legislation on the protection of landscapes. The practice of consolidating the management of the World Heritage site Plitvice National Park in the hands of a legal entity of the same name receives a positive assessment. It is proposed to consider the possibility of securing the sui generis regime of a specially protected natural territory for the Central Ecological Zone of the Baikal Natural Territory. Such a decision will create a single administration responsible for the management of Lake Baikal as a World Heritage Site. The next step should be the development of a World Heritage site management plan in accordance with the recommendations of IUCN and the World Heritage Committee. Such a plan may include a strategy for the development of special economic zones, issues of elimination accumulated environmental damage and regulation of tourist flows.

Community perception of heritage values regarding a global monument in Ghana: implications for sustainable heritage management

Purpose Scholarly discourses regarding heritage values for sustainable heritage management abound in heritage literature but appear elitist as they tend to exclude the perspectives of the people at the lower echelons of society. The study explored the values ascribed to a global heritage monument by the people living around a global heritage site in Ghana and the implications of their perceptual values for sustainable heritage management. Design/methodology/approach This study used the qualitative design. It was guided by Costin’s heritage values, community attachment theory and values-based approach to heritage management. Data was gathered from the local people living close to the heritage site, and the staff of Museums and Monuments Board at the heritage site. Data were gathered through focus group discussions and in-depth interviews and analysed using the thematic approach and most significant stories. Findings The results revealed that the local people were aware of the economic, aesthetic, historic, symbolic and informational values of the heritage monument but showed little attachment to the monument. The main reasons for the low attachment were the limited opportunity for them to participate in the management of the monument, and the limited opportunity for direct economic benefits from the heritage asset. Research limitations/implications A comprehensive understanding of heritage monument management that reflects the perspectives and values of the local people is imperative. Practical implications United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation and Ghana Museums and Monuments Board could consider a more community-inclusive heritage management framework that takes cognizance of local values and perspectives to ensure sustainable heritage management and development. Social implications The values and perspectives of the local community matter in heritage management. The heritage authorities need to engage more with the community people and educate them on the best practices regarding the sustainable management of World Heritage Sites. Originality/value This paper argues that the management of global heritage sites should not be elitist in orientation and character. It should respect the principle of community participation for inclusive development.

The development of legal framework for the management of World Heritage Sites in Oman: a case study on Bahla Oasis

PurposeThe study aims to analyze the development of Omani heritage legislation against the UNESCO World Heritage Convention (WHC), 1972 and WHC Operational Guidelines (WHC-OGs) to predict the possible effects of the recent developments on the management of the World Heritage Site in Oman.Design/methodology/approachThis study discusses the development of the heritage protection legislation in Sultanate of Oman since 1970; it analyses the Omani Cultural Heritage Law 35/2019 against the recommendations of the UNESCO WHC as well as the requirements of the World Heritage Operational Guidelines. Moreover, the research investigates the possible effects of the recent heritage legislation developments on the management of Bahla Fort and Oasis in Oman, which is the first Omani World Heritage Site and the only site with special management regulations.FindingsThe paper outlines the effects of both the Omani Cultural Heritage Law 35/2019 and the Special Management Regulations 81/2019 on the implementation of the Bahla Management Plan. Additionally, the research establishes how the customization of heritage legislation as a special heritage management regulation facilitates the implementation of national legislation to solve specific local problems.Originality/valueThe study establishes the significance of developing comprehensive legislation to protect and manage the rich Omani cultural heritage and World Heritage Sites in alignment with the WHC and the WHC-OGs.

Knowledge of tourist spatial behaviour to improve Melaka world heritage site management

PurposeThe paper aims to comprehensively use the knowledge of tourist spatial behaviour to improve World Heritage Site (WHS) management. Efficient heritage management can be achieved if critical aspects such as tourist spatial activities were better and comprehensively understood, primarily at the micro-level. Inaccurate information on these essential aspects will potentially cause problems in managing a WHS and compromises its Outstanding Universal Value. This study aims to extend the knowledge of tourist spatial behaviour by including the non-spatial and spatial characteristics of the tourists to better manage a WHS.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses a trip diary and a GPS tracking app with 384 free independent tourists as the study respondents. Melaka WHS was chosen as the study area. The data were complemented by an aggregative analysis method to extract different discrete patterns based on individual itineraries.FindingsThis paper indicates a noticeable relationship between individuals’ non-spatial and spatial characteristics. It suggests that integrating these two characteristics can provide more comprehensive knowledge of tourist behaviour.Originality/valueThis paper provides a different perspective to improving WHS management by determining the operative tools to develop an effective visitor management plan.

Governance Innovation Issues on World Heritage Sites: A Case Study Of Lijiang Old Town, China

Considering Chinese constitutional framework today, local governments play an important role in management of World Heritage Sites. Traditional governance of organizational, institutional, and economic natures is a practical reflection of efficiency-orientated incentives. Owing to over-emphasis on technological and instrumental rationality, local governments are prone to dilemmas and legitimation crises such as lack of public responsibility, low governing efficiency, administrative monopoly and prominent social issues. Therefore, we propose a paradigm shift pertaining to the traditional model of public administration which requires governance innovations and theoretical breakthroughs.