Work

Heritage tourism and local prosperity: An empirical investigation of their controversial relationship

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Cultural heritage and local attractiveness entertain an inextricable relationship. Cultural visitors and tourists are willing to discover and admire different, unique, and outstanding forms of culture and local inhabitants recognize themselves in the symbolic meanings and values carried by their heritage, which inspires proudness and sense of belonging. Furthermore, cultural tourism represents a contributor to local economic conditions and a resource to support cultural heritage maintenance and preservation costs. However, concerns related to excessive flows of tourists towards cultural destinations have been raised from many parts. In fact, over-tourism might generate social, cultural, environmental, and economic costs, mainly affecting and damaging local communities. This paper aims at investigating the nexus between cultural tourism and local economic development. A Structural Regression Model is applied to Italian provincial (NUTS3) data to simultaneously identify the direct effects of cultural tourism on economic conditions as well as its indirect and potentially controversial effects.

Source: Tourism Economics

DOI: 10.1177/13548166241234099

Authors: Silvia Cerisola, Elisa Panzera

Institution: Politecnico di Milano

Language: English

Topic: Diverse Aspects of Tourism Research

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Decent work and economic growth

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,700