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Achieving the status of Unesco is a competitive process at the international level. Nations want this recognition because they can promote a place or practice as a unique cultural tourist attraction.
MAGIC TOURIST. Tourists take a picture of the sunrise at Angkor Wat in 2016. Shutterstock
Hoi An is a beautiful coastal city in central Vietnam that has escaped the ravages of the American war. In 1999, it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of the charm of its original architecture, the location of the river and the continuity of cultural practices. The recognition of Unesco has made it a major cultural tourist destination. In 2017, 3.22 million people visited, an increase of 22% over the previous year.
The authorities have introduced a ticketing system for visitors, but its purpose is to increase revenues and to register tourists rather than to control them. The streets are relatively narrow. With the influx of mass tourism, some streets are impossible to navigate and the city has turned into an "ersatz" version with all the buildings turned into cafes and shops to meet the tourist needs. Many large tour buses park most of the day on the edge of the old city, to disembark and collect passengers, which makes a horrible impression on entering.
Local Vietnamese were forced to leave the center The periphery. Ironically, while it is an important cultural tourist destination for its buildings, the culture of Hoi An has completely changed due to mass tourism. From a bustling shopping community, it becomes a theme park.
In Cambodia, Angkor Wat is a major site of international cultural heritage. It was recognized by Unesco in 1992. Between 2004 and 2014, the number of visitors to Angkor Wat increased by more than 300%. While local authorities have introduced a visitor ticket to ostensibly check the numbers (and report revenues), there are wear problems when visitors hit structures and walk on old paths.
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The main challenge for Angkor Wat, however, is the uncontrolled tourism development around the site. For example, the construction of large hotels and the illegal infiltration of groundwater have affected the water table under the temples, which affects their stability.
While continuing to preserve the temples is not easy, the biggest problem is the lack of planning around the site, which has been left to the vagaries of the market. In the end, this unplanned development has the potential to destroy Angkor Wat itself.
The impact of mass tourism can be overwhelming, but it is worsening in communities in developing countries with fewer economic resources to provide adequate protection. The city of Luang Prabang in Laos faces similar problems in Hoi An. The local community now lives mainly outside the old city, which has again been given to tourists and their needs.
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Sites around the world are fighting similar problems in mass tourism. The number of people traveling by plane internationally has increased on average by about 7% per year since 2009. This growth is expected to continue at a similar pace.
As early as 1972, Unesco adopted the Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. Two other conventions, adopted in 2003 and 2005, further protect intangible cultural heritage and the diversity of cultural expression. The goal was to draw attention to cultural sites and practices to ensure their protection and longevity.
Achieving the status of Unesco is an internationally competitive process. Nations want this recognition because they can promote a place or practice as a unique cultural tourist attraction.
Communities and nations have obligations when they receive recognition from Unesco. They are expected to take various measures to protect the site or practice and to ensure proper planning. But if more attention is paid to restoring or reducing unpleasant behavior (for example, in Angkor Wat, the authorities have introduced rules on appropriate clothing for visitors), the more wide of an increased visit may not be taken into account. ] Read more: Friday trial: war crimes and the many threats to cultural heritage
Encouraging tourism as a means of improving the economic situation of communities may, in fact, destroy their uniqueness and their cultural value. With the continued increase in tourism, the situation will inevitably get worse.
The goal is currently to make money on the site / practices, not to preserve them. Mass tourism can damage sites irreversibly. Communities and countries have difficult choices to make.
With my colleague, Dr. Mariana Vecco, I recently published a research article on these problems. Here are some of our recommendations for vulnerable sites:
- introduce control of the number of emergency visitors
- Tighter planning controls on adjacent development
- query the use of sites for any tourist activity
All this should happen if the status of Unesco were to be maintained. However, there is also a bigger conversation we need to have – should tourists visit vulnerable sites and practices?
The Conversation
Hoi An is still a beautiful city but the presence of "wall to wall" tourists on March. Unfortunately, as long as the status of Unesco is used more as a means of marketing than as a means of preservation, the situation will continue to deteriorate. – The Conversation | Rappler.com
Jo Caust is Associate Professor and Associate Professor of Research (Hon) at the University of Melbourne
This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
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