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[quote_box_center]It has been found that tourism can increase significantly once a site is inscribed on the World Heritage List. The important thing is to bring tourist to visit these sites, but to preserve them for incoming generations, for following years, is more important.[/quote_box_center]
[quote_box_left]1,031 sites around the world, in 163 countries:
– 802 cultural
– 197 natural
– 32 mixed[/quote_box_left]
For questions that we had and more about UNESCO World Heritage Sites, we found answers at the right place – in World Heritage Center.
1. When we say It is UNESCO World Heritage Site, all people in the world know that it’s worth seeing. What it takes to be included in the list? What is the most important criteria?
The essential element for World Heritage sites is Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), meaning that the site must be important for the whole of humanity, not just the country on whose territory it is located.
There are ten criteria, characteristic of cultural or natural sites, and for each site, at least one of these must be met (for example, to be a masterpiece of creative human genius; or to contain superlative natural phenomena).
The ten criteria can be seen at http://whc.unesco.org/en/criteria/.
2. What are the main activities organized by UNESCO regarding the sites?
The most important goal of the World Heritage Convention is the preservation of sites. The 21-member World Heritage Committee, made up of countries who have ratified the World Heritage Convention, meets once a year to review the state of conservation of sites, add new sites to the World Heritage List, or add sites to the List of World Heritage in Danger, if needed.
3. In your opinion, how these sites contribute to the tourist image of countries?
It has been found that tourism can increase significantly once a site is inscribed on the World Heritage List.
This raises awareness of the importance of the site, and of the need to preserve it. And of course, tourists hopefully learn to enjoy visiting sites without damaging them.
Sustainable tourism focuses on preserving sites while involving and empowering local communities.
4. Could you name one or few Heritage sites most visited in the world?
This is difficult to say, as there are now 1,031 sites around the world, 802 cultural, 197 natural, and 32 mixed (both cultural and natural) in 163 countries.
We encourage everyone to learn about them, and it is likely that there is a World Heritage site near you.
Even if one does not get to visit all sites, our common goal is to help preserve them through raising awareness and international solidarity.
5. This year UNESCO celebrates 70th birthday. What your birthday party looked like?
[quote_box_right]The Convention
The most significant feature of the 1972 World Heritage Convention is that it links together in a single document the concepts of nature conservation and the preservation of cultural properties.[/quote_box_right]
UNESCO is celebrating the 70th anniversary of its establishment as a UN Organization, and 2015 is also a turning point for the UN – it marks the end of the Millennium Development Goals and the launch of a new global sustainable development agenda.
To launch the celebration year, an All-Star Global Concert was held at UNESCO Headquarters for International Jazz Day (30th April), bringing more than two dozen renowned artists and personalities together on one stage in a celebration of jazz and cultural diplomacy.
