World Heritage Sites: History, Selection Process, and Preservation

This essay provides a comprehensive overview of World Heritage Sites, discussing their history, the different types of sites (cultural, natural, and mixed), the selection and nomination process, and the importance of preserving these sites. It also examines the social, cultural, and economic advantages of designating a place as a World Heritage Site, including the impact on the tourism industry. The essay concludes with recommendations for minimizing the negative impacts of tourism on these sites, emphasizing the need for sustainable practices and responsible tourism management. Desklib offers a wealth of similar academic resources for students.

WORLD HERITAGE SITE

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................3
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION
World heritage sites are natural and cultural sites of universal and are old fashion styles of
old century peoples. This places and buildings or monuments have special importance and are
being protected for so many years for tourism and people are visiting this sites for historical
experiences because of there outstanding value (Hosseini, and et.al., 2021). This places are
present in the whole world and every place has some different features of sites and story behind
the places. This report will include all the discussion on world heritage sites its history and
background and also the ideas of heritage sites started, different types of heritage sites, the
process of creation , selection, and nomination of heritage sites. Furthermore, the importance of
preserving historical sites and social, cultural, and economic advantages for heritage sites and
providing various conclusion and recommendation in the modern world for maintain the
historical places with full safety and precautions.
MAIN BODY
World heritage sites
History and background of world heritage site are it called as “Outstanding universal
value” and it is under the protection or designated by UNESCO in 1972 (Parga-Dans, and et.al.,
2020). Historical sites are the official sites of old peoples and are preserved by the world due to
their cultural and unique value. All this places are protected under by the law and are maintained
by the official persons or with strict orders for the building and places safety. This places helps in
making international cooperation by maintaining tourism activities throughout the world for
protecting the cultural and natural sites of the world and making them being experience by all the
generation and know about the histories of this places. The UNESCO involved itself in the idea
of preserving high cultural and natural places and the A White House Conference in 1965 called
the “ World Heritage Trust” for protecting the cultural and natural sites for present and the future
generations.
Type of heritage sites are three sites cultural, natural and mixed sites. Cultural heritage
sites include hundreds of buildings , monuments , different and unique style of paintings, special
type of architecture on buildings , various use of stones in a way for making the monuments look

more attractive etc. the natural sites are all the changes and speciality in the atmosphere of
particular areas, the environment of special areas, the animals and different types of plants which
are unique and very rare in the world, natural phenomena and natural beauty of the environment
etc. The mixed heritage sites involves both the cultural and natural heritage site. The ratio of
natural and heritage sites is around 3 to1 and there is more amount of natural sites then cultural
sites because the cultural sites are art of manmade resources and natural heritage are natural
beauty of the earth.
The process of creation, selection and nomination of a heritage sites World heritage
sites are were selected at the end of 2004 on six cultural and 4 natural elements (Tyler, 2018).
The nomination are done by to advisory bodies mandated by the world heritage convention. The
world heritage committee for evaluation of cultural and natural sites is nominated and this
committee has to decide the all the decisions regarding the world heritage sites and created a list
in which the places are selected in world heritage list. This committee is deciding the places that
are to be selected for the world heritage sites which has universal value and meets all the criteria
which are required.
Importance of preserving historical sites the old historical sites are places or building
which connect peoples from the past experiences and sense of knowledge about the aesthetic
culture of past. The preservation of this places is important aspect of the world because now a
days tourism in the world has increased the importance of cultural and heritage or natural sites
people travel country to country for having the experience of this beautiful places. The National
Historic Preservation Act in 1966 is working for saving historic buildings and explaining the
preservation of this irreplaceable places so that the future can also experience this places. The
older buildings are made of strong materials like marble, old brick and the glass work or copper
lining are those structures which cannot be find in the present world.
Historical sites have to be protected against unethical conducting of human beings or any
natural damages can affect these sites. This buildings are the important sources of evolution of
the past and how the past generation were living and their culture or way of life how our society
converted and civilisation etc. Old buildings and monuments are the aesthetic and cultural
history which is important for the process of evolution.
Social, cultural and economic advantage to the place declared as world heritage sites
there are various benefits in many peoples life are dependent due to this places. The social

advantages of this sites are the heritage assets contribute amounts and liveability to the peoples
in that areas. There are many historical places in which schools are build and many religion
worship and parks are established contributing to all the social activities in that areas (Dans,
2019). Due to tourism this places are earning huge amounts of money and giving employment to
a lot of people and it automatically improving the quality of life of the peoples. Economic
advantages the tourist visiting this sites lives many days for experiencing all the places and
spending huge moneys on hotels for living and food and it automatically contributing the
economy due to increase in money. Economy can earn huge amounts of money and because this
historical places giving employment to many peoples in that areas like for the protection of the
buildings , tourist guide, which are all employed due to this places. Cultural advantages the
peoples with different religions have the advantage of knowing past of various cultural or
religions peoples and cultural values are maintained due to this places.
Impact of the world heritage sites in relation to tourism industry this historical sites and
world heritage has increased the working of tourism industry because peoples in there
pleasurable times go to visit the places and expend huge funds of there money in tourism (Gray,
M., 2019). Without this historical places and buildings the tourism is just the waste of money
without experiencing anything. Tourism helps to fund money for protecting all the natural
resources and biodiversity and solving many issues related to conserving historical places and
natural resources from unsustainable use by the world for livelihood. This places has given
millions of employment to various peoples in the world for different kinds of works and
increasing the economic conditions of every places.
Heritage tourism like in United Kingdom are marinating and preserving all the historic,
cultural, natural resources with tourism for sustainable economic development because this
places creates huge jobs and provide huge opportunity for peoples for business and improves the
quality of life of the peoples. The tourism sectors are increasing on rapid rate and giving huge
importance to the cultural and social development of the countries and in many countries overall
revenue or huge percentage of revenue comes from the way of tourism activities its scope is
increasing on fast rate.
Recommendations steps taken for minimising the negative impact outcomes of tourism
on the sites. The first step is to protect this places from the unethical conduct and activities by
the people like throwing wastages while roaming proper safety is required by employing more

staff for reducing any damages to any things. The tourism help in employment opportunity and
taking in efficient way can increase the saving of the people like providing good quality of
transportation facility, food facilities with variety proving all type of shopping and living
facilities with al budget etc.
The reduction of using carbon is the main step because its damaging and reducing the
beauty of buildings and many natural resources. Using all type of eco friendly activities will help
them for good tour experience by the peoples and automatically increase in the tourism activities.
Maintaining proper checking and security by the peoples and controlling movement of the
visitors and allowing them to visit only limited areas will help to protect the ecosystem. Before
visiting giving all the necessary information to the visitors which is required and charge penalty
against any illegal conduct.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it has been concluded that world heritage sites are important for the
tourism activities and for safeguarding our ancestors past and there history. This places are under
the control of various committee and are surrounded with huge protection. There are various
type of heritage places some are manmade and some are natural of gift of earth. The protection
of this places is very important because they are ultimately giving various social, cultural and
economic benefits to various population throughout the world. Tourism sectors are incomplete
without this places and various economy of various countries are depend upon tourism sectors.

The world is taking various steps for protecting the heritage sites and increasing the tourism
activities with full safety and precautions for sustainability of this places.

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Hosseini, and et.al., 2021. World Heritage Sites in developing countries: Assessing impacts and
handling complexities toward sustainable tourism. Journal of Destination Marketing &
Management, 20, p.100616.
Parga-Dans, and et.al., 2020. The social value of heritage: Balancing the promotion-preservation
relationship in the Altamira World Heritage Site, Spain. Journal of Destination Marketing &
Management, 18, p.100499.
Tyler, and Ligibel, T.J., 2018. Historic preservation: An introduction to its history, principles,
and practice. WW Norton & Company.
Dans, E.P. and González, P.A., 2019. Sustainable tourism and social value at World Heritage
Sites: Towards a conservation plan for Altamira, Spain. Annals of Tourism Research, 74,
pp.68-80.
Gray, M., 2019. Geodiversity, geoheritage and geoconservation for society. International Journal
of Geoheritage and Parks, 7(4), pp.226-236.
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