Assessing the Value of Railway Heritage for Sustainable Development: The Case Study of the Oraviţa–Anina Railway, Romania

Abstract

The value of historical railways and their important role in social, economic, technical, political, and cultural terms has led to their inclusion as industrial heritage attractions. This study aims to evaluate the heritage value of the Oraviţa–Anina linear railway, the first mountain railway in Romania. The assessment of the value of the railway involved both quantitative and qualitative methods. The value was assessed on the basis of a rigorous quantitative evaluation of key attributes of heritage railway, using a system of criteria and indicators. On the other hand, the selected qualitative methodology facilitated the critical interpretation of the perception of the local community as a beneficiary of the railway heritage and as an active stakeholder involved in its reuse. The qualitative evaluation of the heritage railway was also highlighted based on a critical analysis of tourists’ perceptions. The results indicate the usefulness of a mixed methodology for the complex evaluation of the value of a heritage railway and its sustainable capitalization. Railway tourism is a sustainable solution meant to stimulate interest in learning about local history and culture, and can at the same time contribute to the fulfillment of knowledge of the motivations that drive tourist demand.

Peran Modal Sosial dalam Pengembangan Komponen Pariwisata di Desa Wisata Pentingsari

“…Lopes et al (2022) menambahkan, perencanaan spasial aksesibilitas pariwisata, terutama di ruang-ruang alami, turut berperan dalam pertumbuhan ekonomi masyarakat lokalnya. Lebih lanjut Merciu et al (2022) menjelaskan bahwa perencanaan aksesibilitas pariwisata yang baik bisa turut berperan dalam pembangunan berkelanjutan.…”

Señalización turística como sendero interpretativo desde la percepción de la comunidad en Perú

“…El estudio fue de tipo exploratorio, de diseño no experimental basado en la fenomenología. El enfoque de la investigación fue mixto, esto facilitó la interpretación desde la percepción de la comunidad local y como beneficiaria del patrimonio cultural y como actor activo del lugar (Muekthong, 2021;Merciu et al, 2022). La población participante estuvo conformada por 52 pobladores en el Centro poblado de Narihuala, Catacaos, Piura-Perú a quienes se les aplicó un cuestionario, del total de esta población a 28 pobladores que estaban vinculados a un emprendimiento y se les realizó una entrevista, 3 de estos participantes no desarrollaron toda la entrevista y no se incluyó esta información en la investigación.…”

Industrial Heritage as a Tourist Attraction. Case Study Unirea Salt Mine (Romania)

“…From a scientific point of view, industrial heritage received special attention with the intensification of the deindustrialization process since the late 1960s in Western European countries [1], [2], [3], a process that determined the closure of a large number of old industrial units [4], [5]. Later, the deindustrialization process also marked the economy of Central and Eastern European countries [2], [3], [6].…”

“…Later, the deindustrialization process also marked the economy of Central and Eastern European countries [2], [3], [6]. In this context, the preservation of industrial heritage elements has become a priority to limit the loss of valuable industrial buildings [2], [5], [7]. An approach carried out for the preservation of industrial heritage elements was their inclusion in the sphere of cultural heritage due to the multiple valences associated to them: historical, architectural, technological, cultural, social, scientific, symbolic [4], [5], [6], [7], [8], [9], [10], [11].…”

“…In this context, the preservation of industrial heritage elements has become a priority to limit the loss of valuable industrial buildings [2], [5], [7]. An approach carried out for the preservation of industrial heritage elements was their inclusion in the sphere of cultural heritage due to the multiple valences associated to them: historical, architectural, technological, cultural, social, scientific, symbolic [4], [5], [6], [7], [8], [9], [10], [11]. In the context of deindustrialization, industrial heritage buildings and sites have become redundant.…”