Managing World Heritage Site stakeholders: a grounded theory paradigm model approach

ABSTRACT

The complex issues of conservation, politics, tourism development and governance have emerged as critical issues within sustainable tourism at World Heritage sites. This study analyzes divergent perspectives of multiple stakeholders toward sustainable tourism development in Masouleh, a tentatively listed UNESCO World Heritage location in northern Iran. The study uses a grounded theory approach for framing the case study and provides insights into understanding the obstacles of sustainable tourism in Masouleh in the context of the socioeconomic, political, and environmental dimensions of development. Drawing on in-depth interviews with key stakeholders, findings revealed that the village of Masouleh confronts numerous challenges that have implications for any listing as World Heritage. The study is significant because of the focus on a tentatively listed site, as well as acknowledging domestic opposition to heritage tourism despite the site’s potential international significance.

KEYWORDS:

• World Heritage
• sustainable tourism
• stakeholder analysis
• grounded theory
• governance

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Dr Robin Nunkoo for his recommendations on the first draft of the paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Siamak Seyfi is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Geography within the EIREST (Interdisciplinary Research Group for Tourism Studies) at the University of Pantheon-Sorbonne, France. Using primarily qualitative and mixed methods his research interests are sustainable tourism, community development, political ecology, power and the environment.

C. Michael Hall is a Professor in the Department of Management, Marketing and Entrepreneurship at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand; Docent, Department of Geography, University of Oulu, Finland; and Visiting Professor, School of Business and Economics, Linnaeus University, Kalmar. He publishes widely on tourism, sustainability, global environmental change and regional development.

Edith Fagnoni is a Professor of Geography at Sorbonne University; Director of the faculty of geography and planning and President of the French Geographers’ Association (AGF). She is a member of the ENeC – Sorbonne University, CNRS and associate member of the EIREST (Interdisciplinary Research Group for Tourism Studies – University of Pantheon-Sorbonne. Her research focuses on issues related to territorial development, heritage and cultural tourism.

ORCID

C. Michael Hall http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7734-4587