Eat, visit, love. World heritage list and geographical indications: Joint acknowledgement and consistency as drivers of tourism attractiveness in Italy

Abstract

This paper investigates the influence of accreditations on tourism demand, namely, World Heritage List (WHL) designations and Geographical Indications (GIs). The analysis examines Italian data at the NUTS3 level spanning from 1999 to 2019. Contribution of the study is two-fold. Firstly, by utilizing a Difference-in-Differences model in conjunction with Propensity Score Matching (PSM-DiD), the study evaluates the impact of jointly recognizing both accreditations as a binary treatment (yes/no). Secondly, by employing Generalised Propensity Score Matching (GPSM) for continuous treatment, the study gauges how the impact of the two accreditations is contingent on the number of recognitions (consistency). These impact assessments concern both domestic and international tourists. Conclusions highlight the positive effects, encompassing tourism arrivals, overnight stays, and tourist expenditures, associated with both the combined recognition (PSM-DiD) and the consistency of accreditation (GPSM). These findings support the implementation of place-based policies promoting diverse local assets, notably cultural heritage and agri-food excellence.