UNESCO, mining heritage and the scalar sustainability of tourism geographies at industrial World Heritage Sites

Industrial World Heritage Sites, such as Blaenavon's mining landscape, face challenges in balancing heritage preservation with tourism and economic redevelopment. This study reveals that integrating spatial and scalar analyses can provide a flexible framework for assessing and managing these complex sites sustainably. By examining three comparative cases using interviews, landscape methods, and discourse analysis, researchers highlight common patterns in interpretation, tourism management, and heritage concerns across industrial World Heritage Sites. These findings offer trans-scalar considerations for municipalities and regions aiming to leverage their industrial landscapes while addressing historical, cultural, political, environmental, and economic geographies.

Rhodes II, M. A., & Hannum, K. L. (2024). UNESCO, mining heritage and the scalar sustainability of tourism geographies at industrial World Heritage Sites. Journal of Tourism Futures. https://doi.org/10.1108/jtf-10-2023-0235