Promoting Cultural Heritage in the South of the Valencia Region (Spain): Protection, Conservation and Integrated Management to Maximise Its Socio-Economic Benefits

The cultural heritage of the Valencian Community constitutes a strategic asset of the highest order for sustainable development and territorial cohesion. This article analyses the enhancement of Sites of Cultural Interest (BICs) in the province of Alicante, examining the interplay between regulatory frameworks for protection, heritage management strategies and their capacity to generate local employment. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was adopted, comprising two complementary phases. In the first, quantitative phase, the geographical distribution of BICs and their relationship with employment indicators were established through statistical and cartographic analysis. In the second phase, which was qualitative in nature, the causal mechanisms identified in the first phase were explored in greater depth through structured surveys and semi-structured interviews with municipal officials. The results show that, beyond the causal factors related to the density of listed buildings and their location, the greatest benefit is derived from incorporating institutional, governance, and local management capacity variables into the analytical models as primary explanatory factors. These factors facilitate the transformation of heritage into an engine of economic and social prosperity, capable of preserving the identity of local communities and promoting a living and accessible heritage that generates well-being.