World Heritage Sites: History, Preservation, and Socio-Economic Impact

This essay provides an overview of World Heritage Sites, as designated by UNESCO, exploring their historical background, the different types of heritage sites (cultural, intangible, and natural), and the processes involved in their selection, nomination, and creation. It discusses the importance of preserving these sites for their cultural, scientific, and historical significance, highlighting the cultural, economic, and social benefits they offer. The essay also addresses the adverse impacts of tourism on these sites, including economic, socio-cultural, and environmental consequences, and suggests recommendations for minimizing negative outcomes through stakeholder collaboration and sustainable practices. The study concludes by emphasizing the need for well-organized cultural sites to mitigate risks and promote the preservation of heritage for future generations. Desklib provides access to similar essays and solved assignments for students.

ACADEMIC WRITING
FOR BUSINESS AND
MANAGEMENT
(INDIVIDUAL ESSAY)

TABLE OF CONTENT
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Essay............................................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
World heritage sites are well selected by UNESCO for someone historical, culture and
scientific and many other kind of signification (Jimura., 2018). They are natural and culture sites
designated as having existing as outstanding universal value, under conversion concerning
protection of natural heritage and world culture. This report will discuss the background and
history of the world heritage sites and also explain briefly about the idea of heritage sites started
and different types of heritage sites with the process of selection, nomination and creation of
heritage sites. This report will also describe importance of preserving historical sites and also
describe culture, economical and social benefit to place being say as world heritage sites.
Furthermore, the report also includes adverse impact of world steps that could be minimized
negative outcome of tourism in sites.
MAIN BODY
Essay
History and background
The world heritage sites are the sites that are a landmark or an area which has been given
legal protection by an international agency called as United Nation Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization. This organization defines the world heritage sites that includes both
intangible and the tangible sites. Intangible sites are the one that includes the expression,
knowledge, skills that any individual, community or a group possess. While the tangible sites
are those sites that includes the cultural and natural sites. Cultural sites are the sites that have
been secured and preserved due to its cultural importance while the natural sites are the sites are
those sites that has some unique natural feature like and or water with special spiritual
importance. In this essay we will see the reason why world heritage site is important and the
necessity to protect them for our future generations.
The convention regarding world heritage site was developed over the seven-year period between
1965 and 1972. The draft that was initiated by the UNESCO earlier, started getting attention and
all the parties in the world agreed up on the convention concerning the protection of world
cultural and natural sites. Convention regarding was adopted on 16 November 1972 but came
into force on 17 December 1975.

Importance-
The reason of designating any area as world heritage site is because of the cultural,
scientific, historical or any other form of importance that it owns. To select any site as a world
heritage site that area must be a unique landmark which contains geographical, historical or the
physical importance (Navarro, Monterrubio, and Pereira, 2022). A world heritage site is provided
with the security and the legal protection because it reminds the country with the
accomplishment that are done by humans in the past. Any country in the world is identified
because of the region, the community or a group that existed in that country. The country's
cultural heritage like arts, crafts, and the monuments reflects their past not only this country
identities show others what are its values, is highlights and the cultural values and priories. The
heritage provides clues about the past and determines as about how our society has evolved our
the ages. It also helps to identify the history, traditions and helps countries to develop an
awareness about the country (Abrahams, 2020).
There is no doubt that cultural heritage is keystone for the basic things in our society like
in politics, society and the business. A local heritage sites are much more than just preserving
them. World heritage is also important for the spiritual well-being because of its powerful
dynamics. The conservation and the acknowledgement of the cultural sites leads access to it by
all the countries and its leads to the equitable sharing of the profits if derived any from these
sites. It also helps in enhancing the feeling belonging, peace mutual respect between countries. A
well- maintained cultural sites also helps in addressing the risk related to the humans like
natural-man disaster. The economic advantages of heritage sites is that create economic value to
that particular place which result in cash inflow in the country (Kim, and et.al.,2018).
These also creates employment and revenues thus helps any country in their economic
development. The social advantages is that the any heritage site have that ability to make
contribution into the countries' identity. There are cases where the country is popular because of
its world heritage site not because of the malls parks that country has as world heritage sites are
the remarks of the pasts. Culturally this sites help in maintaining the culture and the identity of
that country in the global market. It also helps in enhancing the inhabitants the sense of identity
and connection to that country.
Types of heritage

Culture property: It includes tangible and physical culture heritage like artworks (Fortenberry.,
2021.). These are usually sprit into two parts that is moveable and immovable heritage.
Immovable includes residential projects, building, large industrial installation and other historical
places. Whereas moveable heritage involve documents, machines, moveable artwork and books
etc.
Intangible culture: it includes non-physical feature of particular culture. The concept considers
the different ways of behaviour in society. Culture climate includes traditional, social values,
spiritual beliefs, customs and practices etc.
Natural heritage:
It is an important component of society heritage, and encompassing the natural environment and
countryside, includes biodiversity and geo diversity. The conversion and preservation of natural
heritage may includes; heirloom plants and rare breeds conservation.
Process of nomination of heritage site
Tentative list: It is the first step, here it must take is to create inventory of important culture and
natural heritage sites located inside the boundaries.
Nomination file: by preparing list and selecting sites from this, state party can program about
the presentation nomination file. When the nominated file is completed then world heritage
centre sends it to advisory bodies for future evaluation.
Advisory bodies: a property is independently evaluated through two advisory bodies which is
mandated by world heritage convention that is ICOMOS, IUCN (Vecco, and Caust., 2019).
World heritage committee: once the file had been evaluated and nominated, it will further go to
world heritage committee to create a decision on inscription.
Criteria for selection: it is to be enclosed on world heritage list, here the sites must be
outstanding universal worth and meet one of the ten selection criteria.
Adverse impact of world heritage sites
The world heritage properties mostly includes in culture tourism and then this become
major factor to help management and conservation of the culture heritage that could harm culture
heritage. There are three different key areas such as social culture, environment and economic.

Due to increase of touristic activity approximately all over the world, much research are being
establish to study the positive and negative impact (Mugobi, and Mlozi., 2021).
Negative impact on economic
 Outflow of the profits if the company who invest are foreigner.
 It increases the land prices, and create many difficulties to purchase houses and also
create businesses for inhabitants of city and may also cause depopulation and also neglect
historical cities.
 In the developing countries public investment generally required debt and aid, given the
lack capacity building and economic resources.
 Inflation of local economy in the basic products and services for daily life.
 Lower category occupation for local public when the creative activity of firm is of
foreign investment that favour international people, so they work with them.
Negative impact on social culture
 Displacement of the traditions and local culture and loss of interest. The local traditions
and culture become consumption object.
 It may result in loss of cultural recognition. Inhabitants lose country traditions.
 It may be result in increasing social problems and issue such as thefts, violence, traffic,
sexual exploration and health problems etc.
 Important changes in the life of local public.
 Over exploration of natural resources and culture.
 In the developing areas, there is favouritism in the work due to preferences of the
international people for training, languages levels and education etc.
Negative impact on environmental
 Generation of pollution and waste of water and air
 Overcrowding of place and destination
 Excessive landscape impact
After analysing the negative impact of tourism on the world heritage sites, I would like to
make some recommendation to minimize the negative impact of culture tourism on the world
heritage sites. There must be collaboration between all the stakeholders such as communities,
governments, business, owners, NGO etc. Culture tourism not limit to historical buildings, but
also includes new creation industries and intangible heritage (Santa-Cruz, and López-Guzmán.,

2018). Encourage communication among communities and local government and take care or
interest and needs of local community. To facilities beginning of firms with administrative and
economic aid. Government should support local business and people.
CONCLUSION
From the above report cover history and background of world heritage sites and also
different types of heritage sites with process of nomination, creation and selection of heritage
sites. A well- organized cultural sites will also helps in addressing the risk related to humans
such as natural-man disaster. The above report also include importance of preserving the
historical sites. Moreover, the above report also includes the advantages and disadvantages that
is impact of social, economical and culture on world heritage sites.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Santa-Cruz, F.G. and López-Guzmán, T., 2018. Culture, tourism and world heritage
sites. Tourism Management Perspectives. 24. pp.111-116.
Jimura, T., 2018. World Heritage Sites: Tourism, local communities and conservation activities.
CABI.
Mugobi, T. and Mlozi, S., 2021. The impact of external factors on ICT usage practices at
UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Journal of Tourism, Heritage & Services Marketing
(JTHSM). 7(1). pp.3-12.
Vecco, M. and Caust, J., 2019. UNESCO, cultural heritage sites and tourism: A paradoxical
relationship. In Overtourism (pp. 67-78). Routledge.
Fortenberry, B.R., 2021. Heritage justice, conservation, and tourism in the greater
Caribbean. Journal of Sustainable Tourism. 29(2-3). pp.253-276.
Navarro, R., Monterrubio, S. and Pereira, D., 2022. The Importance of Preserving Small
Heritage Sites: The Case of La Tuiza Sanctuary (Zamora, Spain). Geoheritage, 14(2),
pp.1-15.
Abrahams, D.A., 2020. The Importance of History to the Erasing‐history defence. Journal of
Applied Philosophy.
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.