World Heritage Sites Unit 4: Culture and Tourism

World Heritage Sites  Protecting cultural sites for future generations is a challenge for all tourist destinations.  These sites have witnessed history of cultures that have risen and fallen.  Cultural sites must endure tourists, climate, natural disasters and time.

 Canada has created a National Park system that commemorates national historic sites.  Canada has 1500 commemorate sites, of which 502 are in Ontario.  These sites are for places, persons or events that are significant to a culture’s history.

 What is happening at a global scale?  The idea of protecting cultural monuments emerged after World War I after the destruction in Western Europe.  The United Nations created the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1945.

 UNESCO is involved in a variety of projects from acting as a “clearinghouse” for sharing information and knowledge, to promoting co-operation amongst its members.  UNESCO is concerned with protecting significant world sites for future generations.

 In 1959, the decision was made to build the Aswan High Dam in Egypt  Many jobs would be created and a supply of energy provided, a culturally significant monument would be lost in the construction.  The Abu Simbel Temples (which included the monuments of Ramses II and the Sanctuary of Isis at Philae) would be lost to the rising water of the Nile when the Dam was constructed.

 UNESCO became involved in safeguarding this significant relic by dismantling the temples, moving them to a safe location and reassembling them again.  The whole process cost over $80 million US, with half the amount being donated by over 50 countries who expressed concern in preserving a part of cultural history.

 This success has led to other cultural significant areas to being saved such as Venice Lagoon, Ruins in Moenjodaro, Pakistan and the Temple Compounds in Indonesia.

 As of January 2007, the World Heritage List includes 830 sites worldwide: 644 cultural, 162 natural and 24 mixed in 138 member states.  The first sites to be designated were Mount Everest, the Grand Canyon, the Great Barrier Reef, the Great Wall of China, Egypt’s Pyramid Field, and Vatican City.

 In 1972, UNESCO created the World Heritage Convention.  This treaty recognizes sites of significance to the world, regardless of location.  World Heritage Sites can be both cultural and natural places that are important to all the people of the world.

 Canada’s first World Heritage Sites were L’Anse aux Meadows National Site (the first Viking settlement in North America) and the Nahanni National Park.  Today there are a total of 14 sites (9 natural and 5 cultural)  However to be designated a World Heritage Site is not an easy feat.

 A site must meet one of the following requirements: 1. An outstanding example of the Earth’s evolution 2. A spectacular feature or formation 3. An illustration of biological evolution 4. Rare fauna or flora 5. A demonstration of human/environmental interaction