The UNESCO Serial Property of Arab-Norman Palermo. An assessment from a sustainable development perspective

This article analysed the socio-economic and environmental impact of the UNESCO World Heritage serial property of the "Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalù and Monreale" on the city of Palermo in the four years following the recognition of its Outstanding Universal Value by UNESCO and the site's inclusion on the World Heritage List in 2015. The UNESCO brand has an extraordinary appeal for travellers and, conversely, this opportunity can turn a city with thousands of years of history into a mass tourism destination. Scant attention has given to the environmental quality of the tourism it attracts, although it may foster growth in the local economy in the short term, and in the medium to long term overtourism may undermine local cultural and social traditions and push the city to the limits of its carrying capacity.