The destruction of cultural heritage and international tourism: The case of the Arab countries

World Heritage Sites (WHS) are in danger in some Arab countries that have suffered from conflict since the Arab Spring. Many countries base their development strategies on promoting cultural tourism by making use of their rich historical and artistic heritage. However, the literature has not clarified the benefit of having the nominations that UNESCO grants to the places that house such valuable cultural patrimony. Therefore, the impact of the loss of this heritage is also unclear. In this paper we estimate the economic loss that would result from total or partial damage to WHS. Our results indicate that WHS are a major cause of influx of tourists, especially to the Arab countries that are currently at risk of conflict. Our analysis finds that the disappearance of those sites classified as “in danger” by UNESCO would cause a minimum loss of around 12% of their tourism, with Libya and Syria being the most affected countries.