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Providing public access to heritage promotes a social interest in its conservation but, at the same time, it poses a risk to the conservation of resources. The biggest challenge in managing public use of heritage is to establish a sustainable relationship between heritage and tourism. The multidisciplinary teams involved in visitor flow management generate and exchange information about the heritage property without an integrative vision. The lack of a reliable, unified and up-to-date source of information generally hinders decision-making, causes errors and leads to inappropriate practices in heritage visitor flow management, thereby putting the conservation of resources at risk because of the impacts derived from visitation while the quality experience is also affected. Building Information Modelling (BIM) provides a collaborative framework where multidisciplinary teams share geometric and documentary information about the building in a coordinated way. This tool applied to heritage (HBIM) is demonstrating how it is able to improve efficiency in documenting, intervening and managing heritage. Beyond these aforementioned skills, the objective of this study is to identify the potential of HBIM to improve the efficiency of the visitor flow management. The methodology includes a literature review, qualitative data collection and technical documentation analysis. The results indicate that the use of HBIM can optimise the planning and management of visitor flows, by virtually foreseeing the possible risks derived from visits. It can also calculate recreational carrying capacity and analyse alternatives to itineraries that minimise the deterioration of the most fragile spaces.

This paper analyses the outstanding universal values, integrity, and authenticity of the city of Gracias (Honduras), as well as its protection and heritage management tools. The main objective is to demonstrate that Gracias meets the UNESCO requirements to qualify as a candidate for inclusion in the International List of the World Heritage Convention (1971). Gracias is a colonial Spanish city, founded in 1536, in the region of Lempira. It had great productive, strategic and administrative importance in Central America, demonstrated in part by its hosting of the ‘Audiencia de los Confines’. The ‘Audiencia’ was the highest court of the Spanish Crown with jurisdiction over the current republics of Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and the region of Chiapas. The aim of this court was to represent the interests of the indigenous people in these areas. An on-site analysis, diagnosis and assessment of the heritage elements was carried out from architectural, urban planning, historical, and intangible heritage perspectives. Additionally, other similar sites in Central America have been analysed for comparison. Results show that this city meets criterion iv of the World Heritage Convention: ‘an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history’. Furthermore, the city´s heritage assets are well-preserved and most of them remain functional; the indigenous culture is alive; and planning, conservation and managing tools are in use. Currently, Gracias maintains its harmony and life and its respect for the natural environment, creating a cultural landscape that has been maintained for almost 500 years.

Among thousands of UNESCO World Heritage Sites around the world, three groups belong to the Republic of Armenia; Cathedral and Churches of Echmiatsin and the Archaeological Site of Zvartnots (2000), Monasteries of Haghpat and Sanahin (1996, 2000), and Monastery of Geghard and the Upper Azat Valley (2000). All of them are distinctive representatives of Armenian Apostolic Church. Their uniqueness lies in their historical origin (dating back to the 4th century), singular architectural style and their ability to provide spiritual support to Armenians from ancient times. Almost all of them are still used for their original (religious) purpose. Nevertheless, in some cases poor public visitation is observed. Being the first example of this kind of research in Armenia, the objective of this study is to analyse and make a diagnosis of the current condition of the sites regarding the public visitation and tourism uses, as well as to propose heritage enhancement tools to improve the physical and intellectual access to them. The methodology includes the combination of observational fieldwork, revision of scientific bibliography, as well as preparation of a complete heritage inventory of these sites. Assessments are performed both from the tourism point of view and for the intrinsic values of these monuments, following technical criteria. The results of this study attest to the tourism potential of those churches. Particularly, the Monastery of Geghard and the Cathedral of Echmiatsin are unique and of significant importance due to their accessibility, good conservation conditions and attractiveness.

The continuous sea level rising affects all those built heritage elements located near the seacoasts and oceans all over the world. Some of the most affected sites are the found Roman coastal fish tanks which were scattered along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and had the purpose of breeding and keeping the fish in captivity. This study will analyze the current consequences of this phenomenon in these sites, mainly on those located in Spain. It will also analyze the effects in structures because of their submergence, the effects of erosion, the different reasons for coast line variations, the risks of sea storms and floods. Estimations are also made and they are based on the forecasts of sea-level rises in order of what it is being published in scientific fields. Finally, the pernicious effects that these types of infrastructures and their associated elements will suffer in a short or medium term will be studied.

Morella is an archetypical medieval town that is home to many heritage buildings, protected by fortified walls and crowned by an imposing castle. Located in a mountainous area, this town is one of only four examples in the Valencian Region (Spain) that retain the entire defence perimeter. This defence heritage has been decisive not only in shaping the urban layout of the town, but also in the local lifestyle and traditions of the place: living inside the walls means being protected from the weather, but also inhabiting a limited environment and having social and cultural connotations. The process of enhancing the value of heritage buildings involves studying, analysing and understanding the elements they are made up of with the aim of proposing new uses based on their significance, their characteristics, the environment and social needs. To address this objective, the present work has carried out an architectural analysis of each of the towers and gates of the town walls, which has made it possible to study their characteristics and detect the potential for the interpretation of the heritage buildings in each section. The result is the ‘Walls Walking Tour’, a proposal for a public visit that divides the walled perimeter of Morella into five thematic areas that each offers different types of routes, activities and relationships with the environment. In short, this initiative contributes to the enhancement and cultural diffusion of Morella's defence heritage, and brings buildings and their history closer both to the local population and to visitors.