World heritage and social justice: Insights from the inscription of Yazd, Iran

UNESCO World Heritage Sites (WHS) are known to add value to destinations. While the diverse impacts of WHS status have been investigated in relation to sustainable tourism development in various contexts, social justice perspectives remain poorly developed in the literature. We used netnographic research on social media supplemented with semi-structured interviews to investigate social justice issues arising from the WHS inscription of Yazd, Iran. Findings reveal a complexity of benefits (e.g. greater community well-being) and costs (e.g. higher prices and increased traffic) that are unequally distributed among stakeholders. We also found that cultural values represented by the WHS marginalize certain groups. Participation in decision-making processes is all but non-existent, leaving residents powerless to act upon concerns about tourism and cultural change. The research contributes to the emerging field of social justice in heritage tourism and heritage conservation. It offers theoretical and empirical insights that highlight the importance of social justice as an aspect of sustainable WHS management.