The (controversial) role of the UNESCO WHL Management Plans in promoting sustainable tourism development

This paper investigates the relationship between tourism and planning in UNESCO World Heritage List (WHL) sites. It concentrates on the relation between Management Plans (MPs) and other (local and regional) planning instruments and policies able to influence the promotion of sustainable and responsible development. This is explored through an examination of two important tourist locations in Sicily: Agrigento (the Valley of the Temples) and the Aeolian Islands, which have both been recognized as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. The analysis of these case studies will point out the challenge of integrating different management and planning regimes. The paper shows how supranational policies o…