The WHS Designation—A Factor of Sustainable Tourism Growth for Romanian Rural Areas?

Corneliu Iațu, Bogdan-Constantin Ibănescu, Oana Mihaela Stoleriu and Alina Munteanu
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Corneliu Iațu: Department of Geography, Faculty of Geography and Geology, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi; 700506 Iași, Romania
Bogdan-Constantin Ibănescu: Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in European Studies, Faculty of Law, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iaşi, 700506 Iași, Romania
Oana Mihaela Stoleriu: Department of Geography, Faculty of Geography and Geology, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi; 700506 Iași, Romania
Alina Munteanu: Research Department, Faculty of Geography and Geology, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi; 700506 Iași, Romania

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 3, 1-12

Abstract: The presence of World Heritage Sites has been frequently used as a mean of tourism promotion and increased attractiveness. However, previous studies showed contradictory results regarding the territorial impact of World Heritage Sites, and very few researchers discussed their impact in Eastern Europe. This paper examines how the presence of World Heritage Sites in rural localities influenced the tourism growth and sustainable development in Romania after 2000. Independent Sample t -test was used to analyse the evolution of tourism and sustainable development indicators between 2001 and 2016. The results suggest an absence of a positive effect induced by World Heritage Sites in rural areas. It seems that, by itself, the brand has not enough power to sustain tourist attractiveness if it is not endorsed by national, regional, and local initiatives. These findings lead a discussion about how certain sites managed to induce a sustained tourism growth while others failed to do so.

Keywords: World Heritage Site; rural tourism; promotion strategies; sustainable development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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