Importance of World Heritage Sites in Modern Society

This essay evaluates the importance of world heritage sites in modern society, including their cultural, natural, and economic benefits, as well as the challenges of safeguarding and preserving them. It also discusses the connection between world heritage sites and the tourism industry.

Academic Writing for
Business and
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Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY ..................................................................................................................................1
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................5

INTRODUCTION
Heritage is termed as differential aspects of cultural practices which are inherited in
regards with present as well as it gets preserved for future purpose (Santa-Cruz and López-
Guzmán, 2017). World heritage sites are those places which are designated by UNESCO for
having significance in regards with culture, history or scientific aspects. These are considered of
outstanding universal value on a global scale and are appreciated by people in a significant
manner. These are advantageous for having a positive impact on varied aspects for development
of a community. This essay is aim to evaluate the importance of world heritage sites in modern
society. This essay demonstrates the knowledge about background as well as history of world
heritage sites. It also depicts an understanding about social, cultural and economic advantages of
the places in relation to world heritage sites. This also depicts the adverse impact in relation to
world heritage sites and its connection with tourism industry.
MAIN BODY
World heritage sites encompasses of millions of historic buildings, monumental
sculptures as well as archaeological sites. Origin of world heritage sites have been started
through appointment of UNESCO for salvaging ancient sites. United states has initiated the idea
of safeguarding and preserving the places which are of high importance in relevance with culture
and nature (Pavlova and Et. Al., 2017). A convention was passed and UNESCO has been made a
statutory body which works on the mission of passing the archaeological sites as well as cultural
monuments to next generation in an effective manner. This practice has laid to encourage local
communities for safeguarding the world heritage sites by providing technical assistance and
professional training to them. Concept of preserving world heritage sites have been started so
long by the governments of Sudan and Egypt for safeguarding their varied monuments. World
heritage sites are bifurcated into mainly three aspects, namely cultural heritages such as buildings
as well as relics, Natural heritage encompasses of environmental areas and mixed heritage which
is considered as a combination of both the above presented components. Examples of cultural
heritage are The Pyramids of Giza, Egypt Taj Mahal, India and many more. Examples of natural
heritage sites consists of Great Barrier Reef, Lake Baikal and many more.
As per UNESCO (2022), in order to include a place in world heritage site it should have
an outstanding universal value (UNESCO, 2022). World heritage committee is considered as
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main body which which indulges in the preparing the guidelines for choosing a place as a world
heritage site. These are modified on a timely basis with proper conventions that are signed by
officials. In order to make a place a world heritage site, countries need to make an inventory in
regards with a cultural and natural heritage sites within their boundaries. It is imperative for
country officials to add a heritage site in State Party Tentative list. After selection of a site, state
party file their nomination for making the determined place as world heritage site.
World heritage committee aids state party in this process and also make sure to include
maps as well as other necessary documents. Nominated property is then evaluated by advisory
bodies as per the world heritage conventions. After evaluation of the property, it is the
responsibility of intergovernmental world heritage committee for making the final decision for
its inscription. Committee members can defer their decision and can ask for further information.
In order to be included in the list of world heritage site, a property needs to fulfil one of the ten
criteria which are described briefly in conventions (Chi, Cai and Li, 2017).
As per Migoń (2018), heritage buildings as well as sites are considered as remnants of
predecessors which are needed to preserve as it reflect history and provide essential sources
which would help them in tracing the evolution in regards with civilisation (Migoń, 2018).
Human race is relied on their past for building their present as well as constructing their future in
an effective manner. It is important for common people as well as government to protect their
heritage as it helps in adding character and distinctiveness to a specified place which provides a
sense of identity. Safeguarding heritage sites is considered as beneficial as historic environment
benefits in enhancing local economies as well as tourism activities in a strategic manner.
Adaptive reuse in regards with heritage buildings are considered as important for creating
sustainable communities. Heritage sites are considered as excellent educational resource for
numerous people in relation with their ages.
However, safeguarding as well as maintenance of world heritage sites is not an easy task
to perform. Lack of apathy in regards with common people, government as well as other
stakeholders have created a situation of negligence towards historical sites and their cultural
importance. Preserving world heritage sites helps in maintaining and celebrating civic beauty as
well as pride for hailing from the city of historical places.
Economic benefits essentially encompasses of commercialization practices which has
been growing drastically due to increased tourism activities. This has created numerous
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opportunities in relation with investment as well as income production aspects (Yang, Xue and
Jones, 2019). Heritage sites are considered advantageous as it opens up the doors for several
opportunities in relevance with government ans entrepreneurs. Cultural benefits of inscription of
a place as a world heritage site it led to enhance pride of population residing there as well as
promote cross-cultural competencies. As an economic advantage, these sites provide a boost to
tourism industry in an effective manner. Through these, varied people can gain knowledge about
the historic events as well as differential cultural practices which of several countries. Social
benefit encompasses of world heritage sites is that it imparts knowledge and information to
students in relevance of their existence or non-existence.
Safeguarding of world heritage sites provides opportunities in regards with creation of
jobs in a significant manner. This also enhance the quality of life of travellers as well as residents
by providing them place for visiting as well as earning opportunities simultaneously (Kim and
Et. Al., 2018). It also provides answers to varied historical facts in a strategic manner.
Operations of world heritage sites have disrupted due to armed conflict, war uncontrolled
urbanisation, natural disasters, pollution practices and many more. These practices can ham
tourism industry in a negative sense due to dynamic environmental conditions as well as
unpredictable weather (Yazdgerd, Hanachi and Talebian, 2021). Tourism industry has been
degraded due to ineffective ways of managing world heritage sites. It is imperative for tourism
providers to engage in the activities of safeguarding the world heritage sites in an effective
manner. Tourism can raise funds through which world heritage sites can be preserved for
centuries. If these world heritage sites will not be safeguarded then there is a great fear of rise in
unemployment rates which can be considered as its negative impact. However, tourism also
poses as a threat in context to safeguarding of world heritage sites due to soil erosion, enhanced
pollution as well as natural habitat loss. Through tourism activities, travellers can aware the local
people by posting their view points and opinions regarding the world heritage sites they visit.
It is imperative for world heritage committee to aware people to preserve world heritage
sites and also provide training as well as technical assistance to them in an effective manner. It
has been recommended to world heritage committee to use tourism activities for enhancing the
awareness campaign for local communities. Apart from tourism, these world heritage sites also
considered as beneficial for some sort of small businesses in an significant manner. It is
recommended to have a feeling of apathy for protecting the cultural practices and sense of
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identity in a significant manner. This world heritage sites are a source of creation of numerous
job opportunities and economic development (Yotsumoto and Vafadari, 2021). It is
recommended to world heritage committee to formulate strategies for safeguarding the world
heritage sites and preserving the cross-cultural practices among differential nations.
CONCLUSION
From the above presented information, it has been concluded that world heritage site are
those properties which have some outstanding value in respect with culture and nature aspects. It
has been discovered from the above that country officials need to undergo a long process for
inscription of place as a world heritage site. World heritage sites provides varied benefits in
regards with cultural, natural and economical aspects. It has been seen that it is a challenging
task for government of varied countries to safeguard and preserve world heritage sites which can
negatively disrupt their image in a significant manner. It is important for modern society to
maintain their world heritage sites as it provides varied economical benefits such as creation of
jobs, enhance tourism practices and many more. World heritage sites are considered as a means
of enhancing economic development which is needful for growing the GDP rates of a country.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals:
Santa-Cruz, F. G. and López-Guzmán, T., 2017. Culture, tourism and world heritage
sites. Tourism Management Perspectives. 24. pp.111-116.
Pavlova, I. and Et. Al., 2017. Global overview of the geological hazard exposure and disaster
risk awareness at world heritage sites. Journal of Cultural Heritage. 28. pp.151-157.
Chi, C. G. Q., Cai, R. and Li, Y., 2017. Factors influencing residents’ subjective well-being at
World Heritage Sites. Tourism Management. 63. pp.209-222.
Yang, Y., Xue, L. and Jones, T. E., 2019. Tourism-enhancing effect of World Heritage Sites:
Panacea or placebo? A meta-analysis. Annals of Tourism Research. 75. pp.29-41.
Migoń, P., 2018. Geoheritage and world heritage sites. In Geoheritage (pp. 237-249). Elsevier.
Kim, H. and Et. Al., 2018. Assessing the economic values of World Heritage Sites and the
effects of perceived authenticity on their values. International Journal of Tourism
Research. 20(1). pp.126-136.
Yazdgerd, F., Hanachi, P. and Talebian, M., 2021. Framework of Conservation Evaluation for
Dynamic Cultural World Heritage Sites. Naqshejahan-Basic studies and New
Technologies of Architecture and Planning. 11(2). pp.101-119.
Yotsumoto, Y. and Vafadari, K., 2021. Comparing cultural world heritage sites and globally
important agricultural heritage systems and their potential for tourism. Journal of
Heritage Tourism. 16(1). pp.43-61.
Online:
UNESCO, 2022. The Criteria for Selection. [Online]. Available through:
<https://whc.unesco.org/en/criteria/>
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