UNESCO mania? Effetti positivi per la conservazione e valorizzazione dei siti emiliano-romagnoli

The UNESCO branding is certainly one of the main reasons of the growing success of some urban tourism destinations, but it is difficult to pinpoint a cause-effect link between the inclusion in the World Heritage List (WHL) and the distorting results of overtourism. Focusing on the experience of some Emilia-Romagna cities, this paper investigates the positive effects that the WHL Nomination can trigger in terms of both the relationship between protection instruments and policies and the increasing benefits obtained, from the protected site to the historic urban fabric.