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The World Heritage Convention has reached a milestone, and this year, in 2022, it is celebrating its 50th anniversary. The aim of this article is to review whether and how the goals of the strategic action plan (SAP) for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention (2012–2022) have been reached.

This article starts by considering the outcomes for three of the SAP goals, dealing with protection and management; the credibility of the World Heritage List and sustainable development, using additional information from the final implementation report of the SAP (UNESCO, 2021a), which provides key performance indicators and the implementation status for each goal and associated outcomes. This article then compares and contrasts available data, trends and examples to provide more in-depth analyses of the implementation of the three goals. Data have been gathered from my own research and from the work of other academics and practitioners.

The article finds several key positive changes, including the recent revisions of the Operational Guidelines to include provisions from the 2015 UNESCO Policy on World Heritage and Sustainable Development. However, a number of concerning or worsening trends relating to the protection and management of the World Heritage List, its increasing lack of credibility and sustainable development make it difficult to conclude that the implementation of the goals has been positive. The article concludes with suggestions for addressing these issues.

This paper fills a gap, as not much has yet been published on the state of implementation of the Convention at 50 years old.

Heritage is widely regarded as an integral constituent of modern tourism and, accordingly, many destinations aspire to gain United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) World Heritage (WH) status. However, uncontrolled influxes of tourists, ongoing management challenges, competing interests amongst stakeholders and decision-makers, as well as the politicisation of regulatory processes, all threaten to undermine the implied protection of WH inscription. Adopting a ‘wicked problems’ lens effectively elucidates the complex, diverse, and interconnected nature of the WH Convention’s governance structure and how this impact and influences the management of WH Sites.

Industrial heritage works within a world of contradictions, contentions and scalar liminality. Archaeologists and historians focus upon oral histories and discourses of tangible and intangible memory and heritage while planners and economists see industrial World Heritage, in particular, as a marketing ploy to redevelop deindustrialized spaces. Within this liminality, we explore the potential for geographical perspectives to solder such contradictions into transdisciplinary heritage assessments and tourism contexts. How might the spatial tools of landscape and scalar analyses expose alternative and sustainable futures within broader patterns of industrial heritage management and consumption?

Using three comparative cases, interview and landscape methods and conducting discourse analysis within a spatial and scalar framework, we explore the increasing presence of industrial World Heritage.

We present both an institutional reflection upon the complexities of heritage discourse across complex spatial configurations and the intersectional historical, cultural, political, environmental and economic geographies that guide and emerge out of World Heritage Designations. Framed scalarly and spatially, we highlight common interpretation, tourism and heritage management styles and concerns found across industrial World Heritage. We point out trans-scalar considerations for future municipalities and regions looking to utilize their industrial landscapes and narratives.

We believe that more theoretical groundings in space and scale may lead to both the flexibility and the applicability needed to assess and, in turn, manage trans-scalar and trans-spatial complex heritage sites. These perspectives may be uniquely poised to assess the complex geographies of industrial, particularly mining, World Heritage Sites.

Industrial heritage is considered an essential part of cultural heritage in the world. This heritage suffers from continued marginalisation in the Arab world, particularly in Jordan, where many industrial heritage sites have not been protected or studied well due to the lack of a clear definition of cultural heritage. Most of these sites, built in the 20th century, are gradually disappearing or scheduled for demolition. This paper explores the de-industrialisation discourse and the loss of modern industrial heritage in the Arab world, especially in Jordan.

This research investigates the modern industrial heritage in Jordan as a case study in the Arab world. A comprehensive understanding of the industrial heritage has been obtained by adopting a case study approach and using a reconnaissance survey of potential industrial heritage sites in Jordan.

Seven categories were used in the analysis of the de-industrialisation phenomenon of heritage sites: ownership, location, design and types; structure, significance, deterioration and physical condition and conservation attempts and alterations. Three main approaches to industrial heritage were identified: demolition, occasional maintenance and rare examples of conservation and adaptive reuse.

This study sheds light on the ownership issue of industrial structures in Jordan and invites policymakers, relevant authorities, private organisations and the public to consider the challenges and impact of de-industrialisation of such sites.

This research raises awareness of the de-industrialisation discourse, and highlights the value of industrial architecture dating back to the modernity period, which was short-lived in Jordan. It also calls for serious consideration of these sites to support sustainable development in the Arab World.

This paper introduces a methodology to identify, analyse and represent heritage site attributes, emphasizing their impact on value, authenticity, integrity and management, with a case study on Ghadames, Libya. Inscribed in 1986 and moved to the In-Danger List in 2016 due to conflict, this work seeks to update the site's attributes and values for improved management.

This methodology, focusing on Ghadames, leverages recent heritage management advancements to monitor conflict-induced changes, aiming to enhance decision-making through a detailed analysis of the site's natural and cultural attributes.

Our findings highlight the need for systematic and holistic assessments of heritage site attributes and values, crucial for managing sites of both local and global significance. This approach is a key to understanding their identity, guiding interpretation, management and preserving cultural significance.

Developed for Ghadames, the methodology requires adaptation for other sites, underscoring the importance of identifying core tangible and intangible attributes that define a site's uniqueness.

Our developed methodology offers a replicable framework that can be modified by local heritage professionals to map attributes and assess the direct and indirect impact of conflict on heritage sites.

The detailed assessment provides a foundation for crafting informed policies and effective management strategies. It specifically targets minimizing the adverse effects of conflict on heritage sites' attributes. This effort is instrumental in preparing the necessary documentation to support the delisting of these sites from the UNESCO World Heritage Site In-Danger List, promoting their preservation and recovery.

This study seeks to investigate and discuss the heritage experiences of both domestic and international visitors at Göbeklitepe UNESCO World Heritage Site in Türkiye.

A qualitative research approach was adopted in the current study. TripAdvisor's comments and reviews of both domestic (n = 519) and international (n = 186) visitors regarding their visits to Göbeklitepe were collected. The data were then subjected to content analysis by MAXQDA as qualitative data analysis software. Additionally, an abductive research approach, which consisted of three stages, was implemented for data analysis.

The three aspects of visitor experiences at Göbeklitepe, including cognitive, emotional and relational experiences were found and discussed. Additionally, commonalities and differences among domestic and international visitors in terms of the heritage experience they gained from their visit to Göbeklitepe were revealed and analyzed.

Based on the findings regarding the main aspects of heritage experiences at Göbeklitepe, including cognitive, emotional and relational experiences, site managers and destination marketers can create effective marketing strategies that focus on those characteristics to attract visitors to the site. Moreover, the study can guide destination marketers to develop targeted marketing campaigns that highlight the different historical and religious significance of the site for both groups of domestic and international visitors.

First, the study affirms that Göbeklitepe is an important and impressive cultural heritage site due to its historical significance to both domestic and international visitors. It also strengthens the multifaceted nature of heritage experiences. Especially, the evidence of relational heritage experiences, including the connectedness to heritage and the sense of belonging to the visitor community, enriches the literature of heritage experience in this regard.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impact of beneficial externality generated by the World Heritage List (WHL) on residential property values in order to offer new insights into heritage discourses.

The study uses the hedonic price model to estimate empirically the difference in prices for residential properties located in the Old Rauma World Heritage. The study uses residential sales transaction data from the City of Rauma from January 2005 to September 2012 drawn from an online database called KVKL Hintaseurantapalvelu managed by the Central Federation of Finnish Real Estate Agencies.

The research results indicate a positive, but insignificant, relationship between the property sale prices (euros/sqm) and heritage designation. However, the total sale prices are higher in Old Rauma as the properties are significantly larger in Old Rauma compared to other properties in Rauma.

Studies in heritage economics have assessed the influence of the property market on heritage listing and designation at either the national level, the local level or a mix of national/local levels. This paper contributes to the literature by analysing the impact of a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) world heritage designation on residential property values. UNESCO is the leading global institution which deals with the protection of heritage sites that transcend national and local boundaries.

The traditional courtyard shophouses modifications, alterations and deterioration over the years have become a source of concern to major stakeholders. In George Town World Heritage Site Malaysia, studies have shown that the worst hit among its various shophouses are the Straits Chinese traditional courtyard eclectic style shophouses. This paper investigates the traditional courtyard shophouses concerning the role of architectural formation design components, and how this can sustain the place identity of the Straits Chinese typology.

The methodological approach regards the collection of data and analysis of 30 face-to-face interviews and the observation of Lots number 3, 5 and 7, located along Lorong Ikan, George Town World Heritage Site.

It was found that these Lots express the place identity of the Straits Chinese, and its major exterior architecture components to be observed are the column head (Chi Tou) capital, parapet wall, bressummer beam and ionic column, and gable and gable ends.

This paper is limited to the role of architectural formation design components. Future research is needed to expand the scope of participant elements via a quantitative approach. This will enhance the validation of findings from this paper.

It is recommended the use of the proposed checklist to enhance the sustainability of the architectural components regarding the place identity of these styles of shophouses, which provides salutary lessons on how to preserve the heritage buildings. Also, major stakeholders with leading evidence from relevant government agencies should ensure the preservation of these cultural and heritage buildings for the next generation.

This paper found that the family beliefs and social impact were the components that express the place identity of the Straits Chinese.

This paper demonstrates that the role of architectural formation design components regarding place identity of Straits Chinese traditional courtyard eclectic style shophouses cannot be over-emphasised.

Through a theoretical lens of psychological ownership, this study aims to investigate how technology mindfulness may stimulate metaverse tourism users’ feelings of individual psychological ownership, aesthetic value and conversational value, which in turn fosters intention to engage in prosocial behaviors.

The study used a scenario-based survey that allowed U.S.-based participants to create their own avatars and imagine using their avatars to explore heritage sites in the metaverse. Structural equality modeling was applied for data analysis.

The results from 357 valid responses indicate that technology mindfulness arouses tourists’ individual psychological ownership, aesthetic value, conversational value and prosocial behavioral intentions. The moderating role of biospheric value orientation on willingness to donate and intention to volunteer is investigated.

The research sheds light on the significance of technology mindfulness, conversational value and psychological ownership perspectives in the metaverse, which have been previously overlooked. The authors used a scenario-based survey for mental stimulation due to current metaverse technology limitations.

The study is one of the first to explore the possibility of encouraging prosocial behaviors using metaverse-facilitated technology. The research offers guidelines to engage hospitality and tourism customers in the metaverse that can blend their virtual experiences into the real world.

This study represents one of the pioneering efforts to gain an in-depth understanding of the application of metaverse in triggering prosocial behavior toward heritage sites, explained via a technology mindfulness-driven model with a psychological ownership perspective.

This research analysed visitors’ trust in and perceptions of the authenticity and value of the World Heritage (WH) brand based on theories of information seeking behaviour and perceived value.

Data were obtained through a self-administrated online survey and the 818 questionnaires completed. Quantitative methods were applied including PLS-SEM modelling.

The findings show that trust in the WH brand influences individuals’ perceptions of WH sites (WHSs), and brand authenticity is an important determinant of visitors’ perceived WHS value.

This study extends the existing theoretical research on WH brand management and tourism behaviour by evaluating data on natural, tangible and intangible WHSs.