Does world heritage list really induce more tourists? Evidence from Macau

Abstract

a b s t r a c tIt is commonly believed that being listed on the World Heritage List (WHL) results in attracting more tourists. However, this assumption has not been generally subject to rigorous econometric approach in the existing literature. To fill this gap, we assess the impact of the accreditation World Heritage status on the "Historic Centre of Macau" in 2005 on visitor numbers to the territory to identify the real effect of WHL on fostering tourism. In doing so, because of the policy restrictions on the mainland Chinese tourists, such tourists have been excluded from the analysis. The empirical results indicate that there is no significant effect of WHL on promoting tourism other than possibly a short-run tourism-enhancing impact. Notably, this effect is particularly relevant to Asian tourists. This paper discusses these results in the wider context of econometric analyses of tourism.

Comparative Subnational Foreign Relations Law in the Chinese Special Administrative Regions

“…Emphasizing Macau's status as a 'cultural city' was considered the key to increasing tourism. 103 Hong Kong is a nodal international financial centre and, through the United Kingdom, a former Commonwealth member; it could have functioned as a laboratory for China to test diplomatic initiatives and as an advisor on relations with the Anglophone world. 104 This role has not played out in China's relations with the United States, or even the Commonwealth, in a way comparable to Macau's contribution to Sino-lusophone relations.…”

World heritage site management: a case study of sacred sites and pilgrimage routes in the Kii mountain range, Japan

“…However, no consensus has been established among researchers, because each site is unique in terms of reputation, accessibility and other influential and place-specific characteristics. A study by Poria et al (2013) suggests that WHS listing does not affect tourist demand in Israel, and several other studies illustrate that WHS inscription does not necessarily guarantee an increase in visitor arrivals (Cellini, 2011;Hall & Piggin, 2003;Huang, Tsaur & Yang, 2012). Buckley (2004) asserts that WHS designation should be treated as just one possible reason for an increase 6 in overall visitor numbers at Australia's national parks with WHS status, although he believes it can be influential in increasing overseas visitation.…”

Assessment of World Heritage List Nominations under Country Profile of Turkey

“…The Convention enacted an international treaty called "the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage" and began to ratify sites on the WHL in 1978. (Huang et al, 2012(Huang et al, : 1451 Cultural heritage, as is defined by the 1972 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the World's Cultural and Natural Heritage, is the complex of monuments, buildings and archeological sites "of outstanding universal value from the point of view of history, art or science" (Peleggi, 1996: 432) Creating the evidence-based nomination documents and management plan in support of formal submissions to UNESCO for inclusion on the tentative lists compiled by States Party to the World Heritage Convention (UNESCO 1972) demands in-depth research in order to establish 'outstanding universal value'. And, following inscription on the World Heritage List, continued research is encouraged within the wider context of protecting, conserving and presenting cultural and natural heritage, and giving it a function in the life of the community.…”

“…Furthermore for all these nations with an aim of targeting to be nominated, it is commonly believed that being listed on the World Heritage List (WHL) results in attracting more tourists (Huang et al, 2012(Huang et al, : 1450. According to Su and Lin (2014: 47), WHSs have been found to have significantly positive effects on the promotion of domestic or foreign tourism in some specific countries, such as England (e.g., Herbert, 2001;McIntosh and Prentice, 1999), China (e.g., Li, Wu, & Cai, 2008;Yang, Lin, & Han, 2010) and Germany, Hungary and Romania (Light, 2000).…”