The Impact of the World Cultural Heritage Classification by UNESCO on the Cultural Touristic Demand in Oporto

Resumo

Classified in 1996 as World Cultural Heritage, the historic centre of Oporto has been registering, since then, an increasing demand by the tourists who visit the city, raising the appearance of new cultural spaces and the requalification of many others. In this study, the authors will try to analyse the tourism impact on the historic centre after its classification by UNESCO as a World Heritage, through the analysis of the tourism activity´s indicators, in a period of two decades, between 1996 and 2015. It will be analysed the international tourists´profile who visit Oporto and/ or the North of Portugal. It will be analysed, too, the visits to the municipal museums in the historic centre comparing to the remaining variety of museums existent in the city of Oporto, in order to detect an UNESCO classification influence. It will be given particular attention to the cultural tourism segment, namely the creation of new cultural atractions and spaces, as well as the requalification of the existent ones. By the end, it will be made an analysis to the historic centre´s touristic advertising by official and private entities.