UNESCO o non UNESCO? Quando il brand incentiva il turismo: il caso dei paesaggi vitivinicoli delle Langhe e del Monferrato

The aim of the present paper is to analyze whether the inclusion of a territory in the list of UNESCO sites increases its tourist visibility. Looking at the case-study of Langhe and Monferrato, the tourists' presences from 2011 to 2019 have been analyzed in order to estimate the impact of the nomination as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014. Pooled and panel fixedeffects econometric models confirmed what the literature already suggests: even if the tourist presences are lower in UNESCO territories compared to those that are not, the inscription in the list has brought a significant increase of tourism. Therefore, the adhesion of small municipalities to these lists can be a driving force for tourism and the socio-economic development of small territories.