01975nas a2200205   4500000000100000008004100001653003300042653002200075653002000097653001200117653003300129100002000162700001900182245010400201856015300305300000800458490000700466520127600473022002001749                                       d10aCultural heritage protection10acultural heritage10aSouth East Asia10aTourism10aUNESCO s World Heritage list1 aJosephine Caust1 aMarilena Vecco00aIs UNESCO World Heritage recognition a blessing or burden? Evidence from developing Asian countries  uhttps://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85015808117&doi=10.1016%2fj.culher.2017.02.004&partnerID=40&md5=5434a65017c0a6d99f66227c1894170c  a1-90 v273 aTo both acknowledge and protect many cultural heritage expressions, sites and practices, UNESCO has instituted three conventions; Tangible Heritage, Intangible Heritage and Diversity of Cultural Expression. If a site/practice receives this UNESCO badge, it is an acknowledgment of its universal cultural and/or natural value as well as recognition of the need to protect it from harm. However, the UNESCO badge is an important marketing tool in world tourism and its presence ensures many more visitors to a site/practice that is UNESCO recognised. With increasing wealth and mobility, many more people are travelling than was possible even a decade ago. Increasing numbers of visitors can negatively impact on a site/practice as well as affect the local culture and integrity of a region, particularly in developing countries. So, is the UNESCO recognition a blessing or burden? This paper addresses the challenges that ensue from the UNESCO conventions by considering three UNESCO World Heritage case study sites in Asian developing countries. In particular, it seeks to understand the extent to which UNESCO s World Heritage approach protects or further undermines the cultural heritage sustainability of these sites. (C) 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.  a12962074 (ISSN)