Unesco last week designated 21 new World Heritage Sites, adding up to a group of 1,052 protected places including St Paul’s Ruins
Unesco recently designated 21 new World Heritage Sites. They join a group of 1,052 protected places around the world that are awarded status for their “outstanding universal value” from either a cultural or natural standpoint. These include such iconic spots as the Giza pyramids in Egypt and the entire city of Venice.
Not all this year’s inductees are bound to become travel destinations. Some, such as the Ahwar of Southern Iraq – an archeological site and biodiverse inland delta system – are in conflict zones. Others, like the bird haven of Archipiélago de Revillagigedo, Mexico, are too remote for visitors. (The four volcanic islands that make up the archipelago are roughly 500 miles from the nearest port town – and offer nowhere to stay.)
But some of them would make memorable additions to popular itineraries or, better yet, are smack in the middle of well-trod destinations. “Once a site is inscribed, it sort of becomes a destination,” said Peter Debrine, Unesco’s senior project officer for sustainable tourism, in an interview. “Japanese travelers, in particular, often travel to see World Heritage Sites – they’ll sketch out itineraries going from one to the next,” he added.
According to data provided exclusively to Bloomberg by Foursquare, a location-intelligence company, sites that receive World Heritage status tend to see a bump in foot traffic, especially in the year following its induction to the list. The Singapore Botanic Gardens, for instance, saw a 204 percent increase in Foursquare visits and Swarm check-ins since being designated in 2015; the Tomioka Silk Mill, outside Tokyo, experienced a 43 percent year-over-year bump after earning Unesco status.
“Unesco designation does drive an increase in foot traffic,” said Sarah Spagnolo, editor-at-large at Foursquare. “But if a site is less popular at the outset, it’s typically not enough of a tourist draw to send droves of travelers into lesser-known spots.”
Lesser-known is a relative term. Though it had indicated an interest in drawing tourists when it applied for Unesco recognition — and is set in a major city — the San Antonio Missions in Texas didn’t receive sufficiently substantial foot traffic for Foursquare’s data team to study. Neither did Christiansfeld, a historical site that lies an easy day trip from Copenhagen or Hamburg. Both sites were inscribed in 2015.
Debrine said that Unesco is not in the business of inscribing tourism sites, but the organization does view tourism as a “vehicle that instills a sense of pride in sites and encourages [local communities] to take care of them.”
Want to visit some of this year’s newly inducted heritage sites? Here are the seven you can access with relative ease. Bloomberg
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