Analysis of factors that optimise the commercial offering in heritage cities through open shopping centres: an exploratory study

Abstract

This study describes the importance of commercial clusters as a modality: Open Shopping Centres (OSCs), as an element that can increase and boost the attractiveness for tourists of urban destinations, thanks to optimising commercial products available in the local environment. Given the current scarcity of literature on this subject, this paper presents an exploratory analysis based on the study of a sample of cities in Spain with major tourist attraction World Heritage Sites as well as the results obtained from applying a model that measures the level of the OSCs in terms of supply, demand, management and environment. The work then summarises the positive externalities derived from this form of commercial organisation. Finally, the study proposes a series of management applications aimed at creating synergies between local public bodies and commercial groups, and suggests setting up the so-called Business Initiatives Promotion Areas (APIEs in their Spanish acronym), aimed at enhancing the tourist attractiveness of urban centres.