АУТОР / AUTHOR(S): Nikola Naumov 
DOI: 10.46793/CSGE5.51NN
САЖЕТАК / ABSTRACT:
The fall of socialism and the collapse of socialist regimes in 1989 mark a pivotal moment in global history. The fall of the Berlin Wall and the reformation of the Soviet Union led to significant changes to the global power dynamics and geopolitical landscape, including major economic and political changes, particularly for the former Eastern Bloc states. For many, this was the beginning of a long and uncertain period of “transition” defined by demands for political freedom, economic changes, democracy and integration with Western Europe. Although post-socialist economic and political changes have been extensively studies, the focus on the “cultural transition” has been comparatively neglected. More specifically, academic research on heritage politics “in transition” and how the socialist past affects post-socialist heritage management remains limited.
The aim of this study is to address the gap and shed more light on the politics of heritage management and tourism dynamics drawing on the case study of the Ancient City of Nessebar, a widely known summer tourism destination and a UNESCO World Heritage Site located on the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria. The paper focuses on the changing discourse of heritage tourism development and management. Adopting a qualitative approach grounded in semi-structured interviews and archival research, the study provides a comprehensive understanding of the post-1989 authorized heritage discourse. The findings reveal that the governance of heritage and politics of heritage tourism development are still in “transition”. The pre-1989 state-centralized and state-subsidized model has not fully been changed and continue to cast its shadows. However, the political changes have brought notable concerns such as lack of government funding, absence of updated protection mechanisms, and uncertain state politics of tourism development and heritage conservation. Overall, the paper concludes that the current model of governance is inefficient, and a new strategy is needed to establish a sustainable balance between tourism and heritage preservation.
КЉУЧНЕ РЕЧИ / KEYWORDS:
World Heritage; tourism; transition; socialism; UNESCO