The role of the unesco designated sites in fostering sustainable tourism in south-east europe

Sustainable Tourism: Socio-Cultural, Environmental and Economics Impact, pp. 1-14, 2011

G. Andrian, A. Stanojlović: THE ROLE OF THE UNESCO DESIGNATED SITES IN FOSTERING ...

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THE ROLE OF THE UNESCO DESIGNATED SITES IN

FOSTERING SUSTAINABLE TOURISM IN

SOUTH-EAST EUROPE

Giorgio Andrian

Aleksandra Stanojlović

UDC 338.48:930.85(4-12)

Received 14 March 2011

Revised 4 May 2011

5 September 2011

Abstract

Within a more globalised and growing tourism, the role of the niche sectors - such as the cultural

tourism and eco-tourism - is becoming of strategic importance, particularly in times of financial

crises.

UNESCO designated sites - namely, the World Heritage sites and the Biosphere Reserves - are

playing a growing role in visitors’ destination management, primarily due to their cultural and

natural uniqueness and their iconic significance. Within this framework, the South Eastern

European (SEE) region has more to contribute to the European and international tourism sector,

by further promoting a proper management of its UNESCO sites and linking them to the major

cultural and natural tourism destination networks.

The first part of the paper analyses the general framework which governs the UNESCO sites

designation processes and management, in the light of the multi-scale and multiple players

theoretical approaches of territorial governance. In the second part, the more specific role of

those designations in fostering tourism and local development in SEE is taken into consideration,

using the limited quantitative data which are currently available. At this scope, two specific cases

- both World Heritage sites from the SEE region - are considered in details - the Plitvice National

Park (Croatia) and the Gamzigrad-Romuliana (Serbia) - analysing the effects of designations to

the visitors presence.

The findings tend to demonstrate that the process leading to the UNESCO designation and a

proper trans-scale governance management in place result into contributing to the improvement

of the tourism sector and the local development.

Keywords UNESCO designated sites (World Heritage sites and Biosphere Reserves), Cultural

tourism, Eco-tourism, Cultural and natural heritage, Values

INTRODUCTION

‘The new humanism entails protecting biodiversity together with cultural diversity’,

stated Mrs Irina Bokova, UNESCO Director General, on the occasion of a public event

in October 2010.1

She continued by mentioning the role of World Heritage sites as

‘symbols of peace’, emphasising the importance of the universal values embedded

within the Organisation’s conceptual and operational frameworks. That wording well

reflects one of the most significant contributions that UNESCO has made to the

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The lecture was given on 7 October 2010 at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan (Italy), during a

ceremony in which Mrs Bokova was awarded an honorary degree in European and International Politics (the

full text is available at http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0018/001896/189621e.pdf).