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Aim of this paper is to evaluate the reliability of UNESCO Periodic Reports for the assessment of hazards affecting the UNESCO world heritage sites (WHSs) and to rank the most critical WHSs in Europe through multicriteria analysis.

The Periodic Reports represent the available continental-scale knowledge on hazards that threaten the WHSs in Europe and include 13 different natural threats. The information included in these reports has been first validated with high-quality data available in Italy for volcanoes, landslides, and earthquakes. Starting from the Periodic Reports, a multicriteria hazard analysis has been developed by using the analytical hierarchy procedure (AHP) approach. This analysis allows to identify and to rank the most critical WHSs at the European scale.

The data provided by Periodic Reports are demonstrated to be a good starting point for a continental-scale analysis of the actual distribution of natural threats affecting WHSs in Europe. The Periodic Reports appear to be reliable enough for a first-order assessment of hazards. The general overview of the hazard at the European scale shows high value of hazard index in the Eastern Mediterranean area and Balkans, due to a combination of earthquakes and landslides. The most at danger cultural site is in Bosnia and Herzegovina, while the most at danger natural site is Norway.

The paper gives a contribution to improve the continental-scale knowledge on hazards affecting the UNESCO heritage sites. The assessment of hazard inside the WHSs is an important task for the preservation of cultural and natural heritage, and it is important for UNESCO to achieve some of its goals. Through this research, European WHSs have been ranked according to their degree of hazard.

The debate on tourism sustainability and its contribution to local development has been very active, especially in connection with world heritage sites (WHSs). The analysis conducted was intended to evaluate the role of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in promoting sustainable tourism, stating the relevance given online by local and international operators to the fact a destination was a WHS and to its commitment over sustainability issues. With this aim, the authors aim to take the perspective of a person navigating online to collect information on possible travel to a specific globally recognised WHS: the Victoria Falls.

In this paper, for its structure, the authors propose the UN World Tourism Organisation book on sustainability (Sustainable Tourism for Development Guidebook, 2013) to define a framework suitable for a content analysis of websites and mobile applications – available to a prospective traveller, interested in visiting the Victoria Falls, one of the most known WHSs in Africa, not directly for a heritage end.

There are 91 available online resources that have been studied to assess whether the Victoria Falls is an area recognised and protected by UNESCO; the presence of sustainability-related contents; and the importance of information providers covering this topic and sharing with readers. A potential tourist to the Falls is not well informed online about issues related to sustainable tourism; his attention is likely not to be drawn to such issues, at least not explicitly. The results show there is plenty of room to improve the online communication value of an area recognised by UNESCO.

Literature does not offer other studies linking both WHSs and sustainability (and the related issues) to ICTs and adopting the tourist point of view. Using a WHS case, the results give evidence of the lack of a proper online communication, underlying the outstanding value of the area, and the destination’ initiatives towards sustainability. Results suggest how relevant could be for a destination to offer a proper and complete online communication, to educate travellers about the several implications of being a WHS and about a sustainable and responsible behaviour in case they choose to visit it.

Building on social media and destination brand-related literature, this study aims to explore World Heritage Sites’ (WHSs) brand diffusion and formation process from long-term and short-term perspectives, which includes brand diffusion, user-generated content (UGC), opinion leaders and brand events’ impact.

This study uses a mixed-method including text mining, keyword analysis and social network analysis to explore the brand formation process of four popular WHSs in Beijing, namely, the Palace Museum, Great Wall, Summer Palace and Temple of Heaven and more than 10,000,000 users’ data on Sina Weibo has been implemented to uncover the underlying social media branding mechanism.

The results show that the number of postings keeps in a stable range in most months, but, in general, there are no common rules for changing trends among the four WHSs; long-term high-frequency keywords related to history and culture account for a higher percentage; different kinds of accounts have varying impacts on information diffusion, in which media accounts lead to a bigger influence. However, more followers do not necessarily mean more interactions and most of the interaction ratio is much lower than 0.01000; brand events facilitate brand dissemination and have an impact on the creation of UGC.

This study is valuable for destination marketers to deeper understand brand diffusion and formation and provides valuable insights for developing effective destination marketing strategies.

Unlike previous studies that only concern a few parts of destination brand formation via social media (e.g. brand diffusion, brand events or opinion leaders’ impact), this study takes a more comprehensive perspective by systematically analyzing the brand formation process of WHSs on social media. By considering both long-term diffusion and short-term representative events, this study provides a more holistic understanding of the branding mechanism.

The research aims to identify the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site (WHS) managers' perception of cultural sustainability concepts and elements in tourism.

A literature review was carried out to identify the main speeches and characteristic elements of cultural sustainability present in the academic field, and then a quantitative survey was carried out with 60 managers of UNESCO WHSs to evaluate their perception of the theme.

The results show that managers believe that the concept of cultural sustainability is much more closely linked to the social dimension of sustainability than to the economic and environmental dimensions. Thus, elements such as the preservation of tangible and intangible assets, the participation of society in the management of heritage, the democratization of access, the guarantee of the appreciation of culture and its preservation for future generations are basic elements for cultural sustainability. Finally, although they believe that understanding the concept of cultural sustainability is fundamental to their activities, they still lack knowledge of how to measure cultural sustainability in their spaces.

Although the theme of sustainability has several published studies, most of the work focuses only on studies of its social, economic and environmental dimensions. The debates on the role of culture in sustainability are still incipient, and understanding the managers' perception of the topic enables the creation of more effective strategies that guarantee cultural sustainability in heritage by tourism.

World Heritage Sites (WHSs), as crucial tourist attractions, have been demonstrated to promote inbound tourism development; however, no study has analyzed its impact on the origin distribution of inbound tourist flows (ODITFs), leaving a research gap. This study aims to apply power law to assess ODITFs and explore the impact of WHSs on ODITFs.

This study applied the power law of rank-size distribution to calculate ODITFs in 167 countries/regions from 1997 to 2018 and used the panel data model to analyze the effect of WHSs on ODITFs.

WHSs could positively impact ODITFs to be more even. Among them, a cultural WHS shows a more pronounced effect on ODITFs, while the effect of natural WHSs is negligible.

This study advances knowledge about the impact of WHSs on inbound tourism from the standpoint of ODITFs, contributing to the inbound tourist flows theory and tourist attraction theory. In a realistic sense, WHSs, as crucial tourist attractions, could make ODITFs more even, implying that destination management organizations could gain higher growth of incremental tourists from tail markets rather than head markets when increasing tourist attractions.

全球视角下联合国教科文组织世界遗产（whs）对入境游客源地分布的影响

世界遗产地（WHS）作为重要的旅游景点, 已被证明可以促进入境旅游的发展。然而, 目前没有研究分析其对入境游客源地分布（ODITF）的影响。本文旨在应用幂律评估入境游客源地分布, 并探讨世界遗产对入境游客源地分布的影响。

本研究应用序位-规模分布的幂律计算1997年至2018年167个国家/地区的入境游客源地分布, 并使用面板数据模型分析世界遗产对入境游客源地分布的影响。

世界遗产可以对入境游客源地分布产生积极影响, 使入境游客源地分布更加均匀。其中, 世界文化遗产对入境游客源地分布的影响更为显着, 而世界自然遗产的影响可以忽略不计。

本文从入境游客源地分布的角度, 推进了世界遗产对入境旅游影响的认识, 为入境旅游流理论和旅游景点理论做出了贡献。在现实意义上, 世界遗产作为重要的旅游景点, 可以使入境游客源地分布更加均衡, 这意味着目的地管理组织在增加旅游景点时, 可以从尾部市场获得更多的游客增量。

El impacto del Patrimonio de la Humanidad de la UNESCO en la distribución del origen de los flujos turísticos entrantes desde una perspectiva global

Resumen

se ha demostrado que el Patrimonio de la Humanidad de la UNESCO, como atracciones turísticas cruciales, promueven el desarrollo del turismo receptor; sin embargo, ningún estudio ha analizado su impacto en la distribución del origen de los flujos turísticos entrantes (DOFTE), lo que deja un vacío en la investigación. Este documento tiene como objetivo aplicar la ley de potencias para evaluar la DOFTE y explorar el impacto del Patrimonio sobre ella.

este estudio aplicó la ley de potencias de la distribución del tamaño del rango para calcular la DOFTE en 167 países/regiones desde 1997 hasta 2018 y utilizó el modelo de datos de panel para analizar el impacto del Patrimonio de la Humanidad en la DOFTE.

el Patrimonio de la Humanidad podría influir positivamente en la DOFTE para que sea más uniforme. Entre ellos, el Patrimonio cultural muestra un efecto más pronunciado sobre la DOFTE, mientras que el efecto del Patrimonio natural es insignificante.

este artículo avanza en el conocimiento del impacto del Patrimonio de la Humanidad en el turismo entrante desde la perspectiva de la DOFTE, contribuyendo a la teoría de los flujos turísticos entrantes y a la teoría de la atracción turística. En un sentido realista, el Patrimonio de la Humanidad, como atracciones turísticas cruciales, podrían hacer que la DOFTE fuera más uniforme, lo que implica que las organizaciones de gestión de destinos (OGD) podrían obtener un mayor crecimiento de turistas incrementales procedentes de los mercados secundarios en lugar de los mercados principales al aumentar las atracciones turísticas.

The heritage and tourist attractiveness of Heritage Cities have aroused interest in establishing mechanisms to enhance their value based on the development of sustainability policies. The socioeconomic and socioenvironmental valuation of these heritage sites has become a necessary tool for decision-making.

Following the recommendations of International Council on Monuments and Sites – ICOMOS, this paper proposes a series of indicators and an exploratory model to define the factors that contribute to their valuation. Following the partial least squares structural equation modelling methodology, information was obtained from 363 intramural residents in the three Heritage Cities that currently have management plans in Spain.

The results show the importance of specifying indicators of sustainable mobility and socioeconomic and socioenvironmental sustainability for an adequate valorisation of heritage sites.

To this end, it is necessary to follow the guidelines of international bodies such as ICOMOS in relation to the management plans.

The purpose of this study is to investigate family tourists’ emotional responses at world heritage sites (WHSs) by using cognitive appraisal theory (CAT).

The online survey was conducted targeting the family tourists who had travel experience at Pingyao Ancient City, a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization world heritage destination in Northern China.

Data analysis with 347 family tourists to the site, via structural equation modeling analysis, revealed that existential authenticity (i.e. intrapersonal and interpersonal authenticity) and family interpersonal interaction help evoke emotional experience, which generates family cohesion and storytelling behavior as responses.

This study results contribute to an existing body of literature on the ability of CAT to illustrate how emotional experience forms in the context of family tourism at WHSs. The study also provides a clear understanding on how to elicit emotions among family tourists at heritage destinations.

旨在运用认知评价理论 (CAT) 探讨家庭游客在世界遗产地 (WHSs) 的情感反应。

这项线上调查的对象为游览过平遥古城的家庭旅游者, 平遥古城是一个位于中国北方的联合国教科文名录中的世界文化遗产地。

本研究通过结构方程模型对由347名家庭旅游者提供的数据进行分析显示, 存在的真实性（即个人内部和人际真实性）和家庭人际互动有助于唤起情感体验, 从而产生家庭凝聚力和故事讲述行为的情感反应。

本研究结果为有关认知评价理论（CAT）的现有文献做出贡献, 以说明在世界遗产旅游地家庭旅游的背景下情感体验是如何形成的。该研究也为在文化遗产目的地如何引发家庭游客的情绪提供了清晰的解释。

El propósito de este estudio es investigar las respuestas emocionales de los turistas familiares en los sitios del Patrimonio Mundial (WHS) mediante el uso de la teoría de evaluación cognitiva (CAT).

Se realizó una encuesta en línea dirigida a los turistas familiares que habían tenido una experiencia de viaje en la Ciudad Antigua de Pingyao, un destino de patrimonio mundial de la UNESCO en el norte de China.

El análisis de los datos con 347 turistas familiares, a través del análisis SEM, reveló que la autenticidad existencial (es decir, la autenticidad intrapersonal e interpersonal) y la interacción interpersonal familiar ayudan a evocar la experiencia emocional, lo que genera cohesión familiar y comportamiento narrativo como respuestas.

Los resultados de este estudio contribuyen a un cuerpo existente de literatura sobre la capacidad de CAT para ilustrar cómo se forma la experiencia emocional en el contexto del turismo familiar en las CHM. El estudio también proporciona una comprensión clara sobre cómo provocar emociones entre los turistas familiares en el destino de patrimonio.

This study aims to identify the extent of intended interorganisational collaboration in the implementation of management objectives at World Heritage Sites (WHSs). These sites represent a unique management challenge in terms of the number and diversity of organisations involved both in terms of ownership and in the interface between the site and the wider tourism environment.

The research is based on content analysis of 12 management plans. Analysis focuses on the types and frequency of organisations involved in the joint implementation of sustainable tourism objectives. Ratio analysis is used to develop a ratio of collaboration which provides a measure of the numbers of organisations involved and the level of collaborative activity across sites.

There is higher commitment towards interorganisational collaboration at complex sites, comprising a range of attractions, compared with single‐focus sites. This was unsurprising, given that complex ownership of sites necessitates collaboration. However, when data relating to site owners was eliminated to reveal a truer picture of collaboration, the findings indicated that single‐focus sites were committed to jointly implementing a higher proportion of objectives compared with complex sites organisations. A number of mechanisms are in place to facilitate collaboration, but again, these are more prominent in the management plans of complex sites. The findings indicate that interorganisational collaboration is currently underutilised in the strategic management of WHSs.

The study is exploratory, given that this is the first time that World Heritage Sites have had published management plans. Measuring comparative activity using ratio analysis is one‐dimensional. The research is also based on intended activity over the next five years and would need to be followed up by further research based on the reality of implemented objectives.

The study assesses the extent of intended interorganisational collaboration in the public‐sector context of WHSs and contributes to the literature in both areas of study.

The purpose of this paper is to argue that the World Heritage Site (WHS) status as a label plays an important role in branding, creating awareness among the tourists and promoting a specific place – be it natural or cultural.

The study is based on qualitative research and utilised interviews and explanatory case study method, taking Maritime Greenwich WHS as a case.

It is found that the status of WHS motivates the tourists in general and heritage tourists in particular to visit the case study site. Also, the status helps in boosting the level of confidence of the tourists while selecting the site. Overall, it helps to reinforce the identity of a place. However, sustainability and conservation should not take a back seat when the very purpose of branding a site as WHS is this.

It is ideal to have a balance in managing the demand and supply side of place management and marketing making sure that the heritage value and trust is kept intact.

The city of Quito is a World Heritage Site (WHS) in Ecuador and the city owns one of the best-preserved and extensive historic centers in Latin America for cultural tourism. This study aims to identify the factors that constitute perceived value construct at the WHS of Quito.

This research collects data from tourists who have visited the city of Quito, Ecuador. A total of 381 on-site questionnaires are used. Data have been analyzed using exploratory factorial analysis.

Results regarding the dimensional structural framework of perceived value indicate that perceived value at the WHS of Quito has five factors: (1) monetary and non-monetary costs (MNC), (2) staff service quality (SSQ), (3) tourist offer accessibility (TOA), (4) destination attractiveness (DA) and (5) information accessibility (IA).

Two new factors of accessibility have been proposed in this study for measuring consumer value at a WHS. Perceived value and accessibility have been treated as two separate subjects in academic literature before. However, this article contributes to the understanding of perceived value at WHS, including factors linked to accessibility. Both managerial and theoretical implications for WHS are discussed.