Threats and opportunities through the lens of civic and social council stakeholders in Madrid's World Heritage urban cultural landscape

The support and participation of local stakeholders in tourism development and the conservation of World Heritage Sites is a fundamental requisite for the sustainable management of World Heritage Sites in urban destinations. This work aims to analyse the threats and opportunities posed by the declaration of World Heritage by UNESCO of the Cultural Landscape of the City of Madrid in July 2021 from the perspective of local stakeholders. The declaration is linked to creating an organization for debate and drafting proposals called the 'Civic and Social Council,' made up of different stakeholders associated with the declared zone (organizations, professional associations, and neighbourhood associations, among others) intending to work, pool resources, and join forces to protect this area. The study integrates three theories, Social Exchange Theory, Integrated Threat Theory and Social Identity Theory. From these theoretical bases, this paper proposes a new theoretical framework where the three complementary approaches are integrated. By conducting a qualitative study based on in-depth interviews with stakeholders and a roundtable discussion with heritage experts, attitudes towards tourism and the threat variables are identified.