The impact of international terrorism on cultural heritage in Spain

Abstract

This article analyses the trinomial of cultural heritage, tourism and Islamic terrorism in the current political scenario. The recent Islamic terrorist attacks in heritage cities with a high presence of tourists leads us to wonder whether the different Conventions, Recommendations and Resolutions approved by UNESCO, the Council of Europe, etc., and the National Emergency and Risk Management Plan for Cultural Heritage in Spain are sufficient to prevent and control possible terrorist attacks or attacks. In Spain, the legislation establishes a territorial framework in which the competencies in matters of cultural heritage are divided and distributed among the State, the autonomous and provincial governments, and the municipalities. This obliges us to make an enormous effort to establish stable, feasible links of cooperation and coordination of professionals and specialists that will allow us to guarantee the security of our citizens and maintain the integrity and preservation of our heritage.