Resumen de Stakeholders’ perceptions on tourism impacts of a PortugueseWorld Heritage historic center: the case of Oporto

Laurentina Cruz Vareiro, Raquel Mendes

• The World Heritage List (WHL) is generally considered an important tool for national and international tourism campaigns. Sites inscribed on the WHL by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) are commonly used to promote the tourism industry, thus contributing to economic growth and development. Given that support for tourism development is affected by the perceived impacts of tourism, which may be both positive and negative, policy-makers and planners need to incorporate local stakeholders’ opinions into tourism development by continuously monitoring these opinions in order to maximize the benefits and minimize the adverse effects.

  This study employs a case study approach to explore the issue of the local stakeholders’ perceptions of the importance of the World Heritage Site (WHS) classification of the historic centers by UNESCO. The case study is the historic center of the city of Oporto. It also measures the economic, social and cultural, and environmental tourism impacts on the municipality of Oporto, perceived by local stakeholders.