ABSTRACT
The role played by cultural heritage in the sustainable development of cities has been widely discussed in literature. Cultural heritage strengthens social identities, and its preservation and sound management is one of the prerequisites of any development aiming to benefit present generations whilst accounting for future ones (Brundtland Report 1987). The interrelationship between culture and tourism has attracted scholars’ attention in recent years and has brought a better understanding of the impacts that they both have on regional development (Robison and Picard 2006; Giaoutzi and Nijkamp 2006). Cultural heritage represents an essential resource, a capital for the economic development of cities and regions. Throsby defines ‘cultural capital’ as ‘the stock of cultural value embodied in an asset. This stock may give rise to a flow of goods ad services over time, i.e., to commodities that themselves may have both cultural and economic value’ (Throsby 1999). Within such a theoretical framework, cultural tourism can be seen as one of the most relevant flows of goods spinning off from the presence of cultural assets in a city, a flow which can bring important social and economic benefits.
