Business Management Essay: World Heritage Sites, Tourism, and Impacts

This essay delves into the topic of World Heritage Sites, beginning with an introduction to their definition and the role of UNESCO in their designation. The main body provides a historical overview of these sites, including the different types (cultural, natural, and mixed) and the process of nomination and selection. It then explores the social, cultural, and economic advantages of World Heritage Sites, highlighting their contribution to tourism and local economies. The essay also considers the adverse impacts of these sites, particularly in relation to the tourism industry, and proposes recommendations to minimize negative outcomes such as climate change impacts and pandemic related tourism issues. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of safeguarding these sites and their legacy for future generations.

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Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................3
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................4

INTRODUCTION
Any natural or man-made site, area or structure which got recognised as an outstanding
international importance and also which deserve the special protection. These sites are
nominated and designated by the World Heritage Convention passed by the “United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization” also known as UNESCO. In this essay,
history and types of heritage sites will be discuss, its creation, nomination and selection will get
discuss briefly. The social, cultural and economical advantages of heritage sites will get present
in the essay. Apart, from the advantages there are some bad impact of the world heritage site on
tourism which will also elaborate in the last of this essay.
MAIN BODY
Discuss the history and background of World Heritage Sites. Explain briefly how the idea of
Heritage sites started, the different types of heritage sites and the process of creation,
selection, and nomination of a heritage site.
Heritage is our legacy from the very initials and we are still living with it, and it also
provide us the obligation to give a chance of seeing the same ancient properties, monuments,
landscape park and many more structures to our next generation. As, these archaeological arts is
irreplaceable and by seen these heritage sites, it gives us an inspiration of life. These structures
are very ancient and old and still they have something which attracts the new and modern
generation to look the art and sculpture of an ancient times. There is an international organisation
names as “United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization also known as
UNESCO, it explore the world heritage sites and seeks to encourage its identification, protection
and preservation of cultural and natural heritage sites around the world. The UNESCO adopted
the treaty called “Convention Concerning the Protection of the world cultural and natural
heritage” in 1972 and its took effect in 1975(Brumann, 2018). The main aim of the UNESCO of
adopting the treaty is, to encourage the countries to be a part of the World Heritage Convention
and to ensure them to protect the natural and cultural heritage. It encourage the states to give the
name of their ancient properties which are within their territory to add it in the list of World
Heritage properties. It inspires the states to conserve their world heritage properties. UNESCO
not only encourage the states but, also it assist the states to in providing technical and
professional training to protect their sites.
There are three types of Sites; Cultural, Natural and Mixed. The cultural heritage sites
includes; thousands of historical buildings, archaeological sites and the sculpture or painting. The
another type of sites are natural which includes all the natural parks, landscape which evolves
through biological evolutionary process, there are some animal and plants which are in
endangered are sites of exceptional biodiversity. Mixed heritage sites consist the mixture of both
the sites i.e. of cultural and natural sites.
It is not an easy task to declared any structure as the world heritage site, the convention which
passed in 1972, set the World Heritage Committee, which has a function to oversees the fund of
heritage sites, it also identifying, preserving and promoting the heritage sites and the most
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important function of this committee is to determine the sites which can be added in the list of
World Heritage sites.
There are some criteria also to seen the sites in the point of view of world heritage like; it should
be a masterpiece of human creation, the property which has some human values over the span of
time and it shows with the art of design, monumental arts, architecture etc. sites which are
unique or its a testimony of some culture and tradition which got disappeared, sites which shows
the history of something ancient, some artistic works and literary work, something which is
naturally beautiful and differ from others etc.
Provide a brief account of the social, cultural and economic advantages to a place being
declared as a World Heritage Site
Our world's heritage sites are very rich and distant which includes; buildings,
monuments, gardens, landscape, archaeological sites and many other places. The heritage places
has an object to contributing in the attractiveness of our cities, towns and countries. They provide
a wide range of social, economical and cultural benefits.
Heritage is become the most important tourism segment in relation to visitor. According to the
study and survey it is found that, there are more cultural tourist who like to visit the sites like
historic and heritage places, they spent more on heritage sites for visiting the beauty of the world
heritage sites and to know about the places. It is also found that, the expenditure done by the
visitor would also give benefit to the local community, who lives near by the heritage properties
and provide the places and hotels for the visitors to stay(Deb,and Lomo-David, 2021). The
visitor generate the employment in the heritage sector and its related areas.
Like the people consider the old houses in their areas as an important identity, in the similar
manner, large number of people are considering the heritage sites not only of UK but which are
in all over the world. The property which are old, popular and famous in some area, it becomes
the landmark of that area, people will use that property to recognise the area. Similarly, the world
heritage property will improve the image of that state, town, or country where it is situated. For
example In India, there is a city called Agra, it is possible that the person would not aware about
the city but, everyone knows this city because of the heritage sites known as “Taj Mahal”. The
world heritage properties has ability to make contributions in the area's identity.
Heritage properties also plays an important role in supporting the culture, wherever the heritage
site is located there are some culture of that area. The heritage property will spread the culture of
that city or country. Visitor's who came to visit the heritage from one country to another country,
they also learn some culture of that nation where they went to visit the heritage properties. They
would get aware about the different culture and also they spread that culture in different cities by
doing mouth publicity of the culture. The world heritage properties protect and spread the culture
of that particular city or the country where it is situated(Larsen, and Logan, 2018).
These are some social, cultural and economical advantages of having the world heritage site. It
provides the employment, it protects and spread the culture and also it helps the society from its
beauty, creativity and the story behind its establishment.
Consider the adverse impacts of the World Heritage Sites and relate it to the tourism industry
and also give recommendations on what steps could be taken to minimize the negative
outcomes of tourism in these sites.
In the scope heritage tourism, There are plenty of effects in respect to the world heritage
sites, on the tourism industry, the effects which considered to be highly effected are determined
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to be scattered into both sides of the coin. The impacts turning the sides for the tourism industry,
the effects can be considered as positive and negative impacts which influence the role of
tourism sector because of the world heritage sites. The spectrum of diversity which is covered by
the world heritage sites, which involves the parameters of geographical, monumental,typological
and other global measures(Li, and Lau, 2020). The heritage which is prescribed to be negative
are the sites which are determined as conflicted, traumatic and involves with the scope of
negative associations. The heritages plays a major role on the culture as well the tourism status.
The parameters which are needed to be safeguarded to decrease the impact in relation with the
negative scope, such complex pointers will include the influence , such as :
(a) Heritage sites needs to be apt and cleaned in order to attract the tourists, the sites
which are world famous it should be cleaned and tidy. The sites are generating the economy in
the world level, giving a time to the people to hang out and also aware about the ancient time and
their structures. (b) The heritage sites need definitive management system, the management
system of the heritage sites should be in controlled and always be attentive. Tourist wants proper
lines and queue which, shows discipline and tourist wants the same in the heritage sites. If there
is no proper management in the heritage sites, it will irritate the tourist to visit and tourist will
not get that satisfaction which they desire(Su, 2020). (c) The main adverse effect put on heritage
sites is by the changes in climate, the heritage sites are established for long years ago, the
material which used in their construction was of very fine quality but, it's been a long time of
their establishment. UNESCO take care of world heritage sites, they should also take care of the
disastrous management which, can be foreseen. If our heritage sites got damaged or destroyed
due to storm, floods or any natural disaster, it will put negative impact on tourism and the whole
economy which generate from tourism got lower down, (d) The latest adverse impact of which
the whole generation become an evidence of it is the time of Covid 19 Pandemic. It is the time
which restrict the tourist to move and for that particular time period, all the world heritage sites
were shut and tourist were not able to get a feel of heritage properties(Nakano, 2021).
CONCLUSION
In the above essay, the topic World Heritage Sites got discuss which is our legacy and its
our duty to safeguard the heritage sites. The history and background of the world heritage site
got mentioned in the above essay and also different types of sites such as Cultural, Natural and
Mixed sites also got discussed. This essay gives an idea about the selection and criteria of
selecting the sites in the list of world heritage sites. As, all the heritage sites are beautiful and
unique so, it is very important to preserve the historical sites because any heritage site provide an
advantage in social, cultural and economical sector. However, there are many advantages of
heritage sites, there are some adverse impact also of some factor which put negative impact on
tourism also.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals:
Brumann, C., 2018. Anthropological utopia, closet eurocentrism, and culture chaos in the
UNESCO World Heritage Arena. Anthropological Quarterly, pp.1203-1233.
Deb, M. and Lomo-David, E., 2021. Determinants of word of mouth intention for a World
Heritage Site: The case of the Sun Temple in India. Journal of Destination Marketing &
Management, 19, p.100533.
Larsen, P.B. and Logan, W., 2018. World Heritage and Sustainable Developement. New
Directions in World Heritage Management; Routledge: London, UK.
Li, Y., Lau, C. and Su, P., 2020. Heritage tourism stakeholder conflict: A case of a World
Heritage Site in China. Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change, 18(3), pp.267-287.
Nakano, R., 2021. Mobilizing Meiji Nostalgia and Intentional Forgetting in Japan's World
Heritage Promotion. International Journal of Asian Studies, 18(1), pp.27-44.
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