During your travels, you have no doubt seen references to UNESCO here and there. UNESCO sites are everywhere, and over the years, we have visited more than a hundred of them. You probably know that it’s a big deal, but what exactly does it mean? What are UNESCO sites? In this post, I’ll explain what a UNESCO World Heritage Site is and why they’re so important.

What does UNESCO mean?

UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. This organization promotes worldwide collaboration in research, culture, communication, and information, with the goal of maintaining global peace and security. To hasten mutual understanding, UNESCO encourages knowledge exchange and the free exchange of ideas.

What is a UNESCO site?

In 1972, UNESCO adopted an international treaty called called the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage to identify, protect and preserve cultural heritage. In essence, cultural or natural places with outstanding universal value are designated as World Heritage Sites so that they can be preserved for the whole world to enjoy. These sites belong to all peoples of the world, regardless of the country or territory where they are situated.

I am currently writing this article from the UNESCO town of San Miguel de Allende, in the heart of Mexico. Its historic center is a well-preserved Spanish colonial town, and some of its buildings are considered masterpieces of the Mexican Baroque style.

UNESCO Sites San Miguel de Allende
La Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

UNESCO’s World Heritage Mission

The mission of UNESCO’s World Heritage program encompasses several key objectives:

  • Identification: The program aims to identify and recognize sites that exhibit exceptional universal value. These sites can include cultural landmarks, such as historical cities, archaeological sites, or architectural masterpieces, as well as natural areas, such as national parks, biodiversity hotspots, or geological formations.
  • Preservation: UNESCO seeks to preserve and protect World Heritage sites through various means. This involves developing conservation strategies, promoting sustainable management practices, and fostering international cooperation among member states to safeguard these sites from damage, degradation, or destruction.
  • Promotion: The World Heritage program strives to raise awareness and appreciation of the world’s cultural and natural treasures. By promoting these sites globally, UNESCO aims to foster a sense of shared responsibility for their protection and encourage sustainable tourism that benefits local communities while minimizing negative impacts on the sites themselves.
  • Education: UNESCO emphasizes the educational value of World Heritage sites. It encourages research, documentation, and dissemination of knowledge about these sites to enhance understanding and appreciation of their historical, cultural, and ecological significance. Education and awareness programs are developed to engage both local communities and visitors in the preservation efforts.
  • International Cooperation: UNESCO facilitates international cooperation and collaboration among member states to ensure effective conservation and management of World Heritage sites. It encourages the exchange of expertise, resources, and best practices, and supports capacity-building initiatives to strengthen the ability of countries to safeguard their heritage.

By pursuing these objectives, UNESCO’s World Heritage mission aims to protect and promote the world’s most outstanding cultural and natural sites. In addition, it fosters appreciation for their universal value and encourages their preservation for future generations to enjoy.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

There are currently 1,157 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 167 countries. 900 are cultural, 218 are natural and 39 are mixed. The country with the most sites is Italy with 58. Thirty-two countries have 10 or more sites. A driver of tourism, this program has been likened to a global museum of all the best places and features the world has to offer. Many travelers rely on UNESCO to find those places of cultural significance that influence where they visit.

Here are some of our favorite UNESCO sites:

unesco-sites

Great Barrier Reef

Australia

Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks

Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks

Canada

The Great Wall

China

unesco sites Petra Jordan

Petra

Jordan

UNESCO Sites Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu

Peru

UNESCO Sites Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal

India

UNESCO sites - Okapi Wildlife Reserve

Okapi Wildlife Reserve

Democratic Republic of the Congo

UNESCO sites

Galápagos Islands

Ecuador

UNESCO sites

The Giant’s Causeway

Northern Ireland

UNESCO Sites Ha Long Bay

Ha Long Bay

Vietnam

San Miguel de Allende UNESCO

San Miguel de Allende

Mexico

Which UNESCO Sites are the Most Visited?

A designation as a UNESCO site makes you an instant tourist attraction. Some travelers even have a UNESCO checklist that guides their selection of destinations. According to WorldAtlas, these are the most visited UNESCO sites:

Forbidden City China

1. Forbidden City

Beijing, China

UNESCO Kulangsu Island China

2. Kulangsu

China

Great Smoky Mountains TN USA

3. The Great
Smoky Mountains

Tennessee, USA

UNESCO Great Wall of China

4. Great Wall of China

China

UNESCO Gyeongju South Korea

5. Gyeongju

South Korea

Banks of the Seine in Paris

6. Banks of the Seine

Paris, France

Sydney Opera House Australia

7. Sydney Opera House

Sydney, Australia

UNESCO Sites Taj Mahal

8. Taj Mahal

India

UNESCO Sites in Danger

Fifty-five sites in 34 countries are classified as being In Danger. The purpose of this designation is to to raise awareness and to encourage preservation measures. Threats vary but include factors such as armed conflict, urban development, deforestation, environmental factors, and degradation of property.

Other UNESCO Projects

In addition to the World Heritage designation, there are other notable UNESCO lists that bring awareness to parts of the world and therefore drive tourism.

Biosphere Reserves

Biosphere Reserves support strategies that balance biodiversity preservation with its sustainable usage. They affect the lives of more than 250 million people as learning environments for sustainable development in a variety of ecological, social, and economic circumstances. UNESCO lists 727 biosphere reserves in 131 countries currently.

Intangible Cultural Heritage

This list recognizes that cultural heritage is not just landmarks and monuments. It also includes rituals, oral traditions, performing arts, festivals and the traditional skills of local artisans.

Creative Cities Network

Launched in 2004, this program organizes member cities into seven fields: Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts, and Music. To be designated as a City of Gastronomy, for example, a city has to meet a number of stringent criteria, such as having traditional food markets, using indigenous ingredients and promoting of sustainable local products. There are 50 Cities of Gastronomy, including Parma, Mérida, Chengdu, Phuket, and San Antonio.

Global Geoparks

A geopark is a single geographical area that encompasses multiple significant sites and landscapes. Currently there are 195 UNESCO Global Geoparks in 48 countries. Some notable geoparks are Haute-Provence in France, Reykjanes in Iceland, Portugal’s Azores Islands, the Basque Coast of Spain, and the Ngorongoro Lengai of Tanzania, which includes the Ngorongoro Crater.

Conclusion: UNESCO Sites are Worth Visiting

UNESCO Sites by definition belong to us all. Through a lengthy process, cultural or natural places have been designated as having outstanding universal value. For this reason, they are worth a visit.