Author Bios (50 Words for each Author)

Adriana Szabo is a Faculty Associate at Arizona State University's campus in Hainan, China. Her research interests center on environmental activism and heritage preservation in Eastern Europe. Her current scholarship is examining contemporary social movements in Romania, focused specifically on environmental concern and heritage preservation through tourism.

Bruno Ferreira is an assistant professor of tourism development and management at the Hainan University-Arizona State University International Tourism College (HAITC) in Haikou, Hainan Province, China. His research is centered around the intersection of tourism, entrepreneurship, and community development, looking at the psychological and environmental antecedents of tourism microentrepreneurship among under-resourced individuals.

Abstract (150 Words)

Roșia Montană, a village located in Romania’s Apuseni Mountains, achieved international notoriety in 2013, following months of street protests against the potential destruction of its natural and cultural heritage. This ancient gold mining area became the site of intense contestation as a Canadian company was set to start open-pit mining operations. Seeking the redevelopment of this area by means of tourism microentrepreneurship, heritage conservation, and environmental stewardship, local organizations put forward an agenda seeking UNESCO World Heritage Site recognition of its heritage. Using a qualitative, ethnographic approach, the purpose of this paper is threefold: explore the nuanced negotiation in the socio-political arena of the pros and cons of UNESCO recognition; examine the real potential of heritage tourism to protect natural and cultural sites from destruction; and, finally, propose strategies to integrate the existing inventory of off-the-beaten-path cultural experiences provided by local tourism microentrepreneurs in the regional and national tourism product.

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Could tourism be the real gold mine?

Roșia Montană, a village located in Romania’s Apuseni Mountains, achieved international notoriety in 2013, following months of street protests against the potential destruction of its natural and cultural heritage. This ancient gold mining area became the site of intense contestation as a Canadian company was set to start open-pit mining operations. Seeking the redevelopment of this area by means of tourism microentrepreneurship, heritage conservation, and environmental stewardship, local organizations put forward an agenda seeking UNESCO World Heritage Site recognition of its heritage. Using a qualitative, ethnographic approach, the purpose of this paper is threefold: explore the nuanced negotiation in the socio-political arena of the pros and cons of UNESCO recognition; examine the real potential of heritage tourism to protect natural and cultural sites from destruction; and, finally, propose strategies to integrate the existing inventory of off-the-beaten-path cultural experiences provided by local tourism microentrepreneurs in the regional and national tourism product.