In this article, we are going to discuss the 30 must-see UNESCO world heritage sites. You can skip our detailed analysis of the global tourism industry, the largest travel company in the world, and the need for sustainable tourism, and go directly to 10 Must-See UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) seeks to encourage the identification, protection, and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity. This is embodied in an international treaty called the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted by UNESCO in 1972.
What makes the concept of World Heritage exceptional is its universal application. World Heritage sites belong to all the peoples of the world, irrespective of the territory on which they are located. As of 2023, there are 1,157 UNESCO World Heritage Sites around the globe. The list is usually revised every year – 3 sites were added in 2022 and 34 in 2021 during the annual World Heritage Committee Sessions.
The Global Tourism Industry:
Tourism has evolved into a massive industry with time, encompassing several other industries, such as hospitality, transport, entertainment etc. In 1950, at the dawn of the jet age, just 25 million people took foreign trips. By 2019, that number had reached 1.5 billion. As we mentioned in our article – 30 Most Magical Places in the World– the global Travel & Tourism (T&T) industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.1% between 2021 and 2026, to be worth an estimated $8.9 trillion by the end of the forecast period.
The World Tourism and Travel Council has reported that the T&T sector contributed 7.6% to the global GDP in 2022, an increase of 22% from 2021 and only 23% below 2019 levels.
Largest Travel Company in the World:
With a market cap of about $110.77 billion, Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) holds the title of being the largest travel company in the world. Operating in over 220 countries and 40 different languages, there are more than 28 million global listings available between hotels, homes, and apartments under the Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) travel sites.
The company also strongly felt the shocks of the pandemic when its revenue fell by almost 55%, from $15.06 billion in 2019, to $6.8 billion in 2020. However, Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) boasted a revenue of $17.09 billion in 2022 after the revival of international tourism, even higher than its pre-pandemic levels, and the stock price of the company has surged 52.71% since the beginning of the year. This is what Glenn Fogel, the CEO, had to say in the company’s Q2, 2023 Earnings Call Transcript:
“I am pleased to report that in the second quarter we continue to see robust leisure travel demand which helped drive the strong results we are announcing today. The 268 million room nights booked in the second quarter increased by 9% year-over-year and gross bookings of $39.7 billion grew 15% year-over-year and was the highest quarterly gross bookings ever. Both room nights and gross bookings came in ahead of our previous expectations as a result of the favorable demand environment. Revenue growth of 27% in Q2 also nicely outperformed our expectations. The strong top line results in the quarter combined with better-than-expected marketing efficiency helped drive our Q2 adjusted EBITDA to about $1.8 billion which is an increase of 64% versus Q2 last year, and meaningfully exceeded our prior growth expectations of about 35%.”
Although the tourism industry comes as a boon for many and supports millions of businesses and jobs worldwide, it often doesn’t come without a price. An example of this is the listing and rental of local homes on the online platform of Airbnb, Inc. (NASDAQ:ABNB). In many cities in Europe, the increasing listing of local homes for short-term rental on Airbnb, Inc. (NASDAQ:ABNB) has created a shortage of available residences for the cities’ residents, leading to insufficient housing and a massive increase in rents.
The Italian city of Florence has announced an outright ban on new short-term private holiday rentals, such as Airbnb listings, in the Renaissance city’s historic center. As one of Italy’s most popular tourist destinations, Florence has seen its housing stock depleted by short-term rentals, which are defined as covering any period of less than 30 days. Dario Nardella, the mayor of Florence, described the ban as ‘daring’ but legally defensible.
More recently, students in Florence, as well as other Italian cities such as Milan and Rome, have been camping out in tents on campuses to protest a lack of affordable housing. Florence has around 11,000 short-term private rental properties registered online. Mr. Nardella said that the city would not target the 8,000 that already exist in the historic center of Florence, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Airbnb, Inc. (NASDAQ:ABNB) has also witnessed a massive revival since the pandemic. The company’s revenue increased by over 148.6%, from $3.38 billion in 2020 to $8.4 billion in 2022. Stock price of Airbnb has witnessed a YTD increase of a staggering 68.75% so far this year. The following was mentioned in its Q2 Earnings Call Transcript:
“Q2 was another strong quarter for Airbnb. We had over 115 million nights and experiences booked. Revenue of $2.5 billion grew 18% year-over-year. And when you exclude foreign exchange, our revenue increased 19% year-over-year. Net income was $650 million, representing a net income margin of 26%, our highest second quarter ever. And free cash flow for the quarter was $900 million, up 13% year-over-year. In fact, on a trailing 12-month basis, our free cash flow was $3.9 billion. And this represented a trailing 12-month free cash flow margin of 43%. And because of our strong cash flow and balance sheet, we were able to repurchase $2.5 billion of our stock in the last 12 months, which more than offset the impact of shared dilution.”
With that said, here are the UNESCO World Heritage Sites You Can’t Miss.
30 Must-See UNESCO World Heritage Sites
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Methodology:
To collect data for this article, we referred to a number of sources, such as Lonely Planet, The Archaeologist, Washington Post, Reddit etc., looking for the Best UNESCO World Heritage Sites. We picked sites that appeared at least twice in these sources, assigned them a score based on their number of appearances, and ranked them accordingly. When two sites had the same score, we used the volume of foreign tourists that respective country received in 2022 as a tie-breaker.
30. Mount Fuji, Japan
Insider Monkey Score: 2
At over 12,380 feet (3,775 m) in elevation, Mount Fuji towers over the Japanese landscape below. It’s been a source of inspiration for writers, artists, and worshippers for over a thousand years.
The foreign tourist expenditure in Japan reached its highest ever figures in 2019, with $46.1 billion.
29. Persepolis, Iran
Insider Monkey Score: 2
Founded by Darius I in 518 B.C., Persepolis was the capital of the Achaemenid Empire. It was built on an immense half-artificial, half-natural terrace, where the king of kings created an impressive palace complex inspired by Mesopotamian models. The importance and quality of the monumental ruins make it a unique archaeological site.
28. The Red Square, Moscow, Russia
Insider Monkey Score: 2
An important public marketplace and meeting place for centuries, Red Square houses the ornate 16th-century St. Basil’s Cathedral, the State Historical Museum and the enormous GUM Department Store, as well as a modernist mausoleum for the revolutionary leader Vladimir Lenin.
Tourism to Russia has plummeted to a mere 4% of its pre-pandemic levels amidst the conflict in Ukraine.
27. Historic Center of Florence, Italy
Insider Monkey Score: 2
The city of Florence is one of theBest Destinations in the World for Cultural Tourism. With its incredible museums and gardens, the Tuscan capital is a renaissance treasure and offers a number of hotels and also plenty of short-term rental options. If you have a taste for great red wines, Tuscany is the most perfect place in the world for you.
Florence is among the Best UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Europe.
26. Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Australia
Insider Monkey Score: 3
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is named after two of Australia's most spectacular sites – the world-famous sandstone monolith of Uluru and the red domes of Kata Tjuta.
Australians are enthusiastic travelers and love to explore their own backyard. Increased domestic demand during the pandemic has continued, and in 2022, overnight and day trip spending by domestic tourists surpassed pre-pandemic levels.
25. Hạ Long Bay, Vietnam
Insider Monkey Score: 3
Ha Long Bay is a beautiful natural wonder in northern Vietnam, near the Chinese border. The Bay is dotted with 1,600 limestone islands and islets and covers an area of over 1,500 sq km.
The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism announced in June that the country had welcomed over 5.5 million foreign visitors in the first six months of 2023, already exceeding the total number of international arrivals in 2022.
24. Iguazu National Park, Argentina
Insider Monkey Score: 3
Sprawling on the borders of three countries on the South American continent, the Must-Visit UNESCO World Heritage Site of Iguazu National Park is where one of the great wonders of nature lies. Known as the largest waterfall system on earth, the Iguazu Falls give the poor Niagara Falls a run for their money.
23. Abu Simbel, Egypt
Insider Monkey Score: 3
Sitting on the bank of Lake Nasser is one of Egypt’s most striking monuments, the twin temples of Abu Simbel. Built by Ramesses II over 3,000 years ago, these temples have stood the test of time.
Egypt received 11.7 million tourists in the 2021-2022 fiscal year, amassing over $10.7 billion for the North African country.
22. Leshan Giant Buddha, China
Insider Monkey Score: 3
Sitting on the confluence of three rivers in Leshan, the 71 meter-high Leshan Giant Buddha is the world’s largest Maitreya Buddha statue carved out of a cliff.
Even though the pandemic is over, China has struggled to revive foreign tourism in the country.
21. Venice, Italy
Insider Monkey Score: 3
Venice is a dream destination that’s made up of more than 118 islands. The only pedestrian-only city in the world, you’ll have to rely on your feet or a boat to experience the captivating atmosphere in Venice.
The introduction of an entrance fee for travelers not staying the night, which was announced several years ago by the Venice city council, has yet to be put in place. It has now been postponed until 2024.
20. Yosemite National Park, U.S.A.
Insider Monkey Score: 3
This widely-visited national park in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains is home to alpine meadows, five of the world's highest waterfalls, giant sequoia groves, and the spectacular, half-mile-deep Yosemite Valley.
Yosemite is visited by over 3.5 million people each year, many of whom drive 3.5 hours from San Francisco and only spend time in the 18 km² of Yosemite Valley.
The Yosemite National Park ranks among the Top 20 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in our list.
19. Works of Antoni Gaudi, Barcelona, Spain
Insider Monkey Score: 3
Seven properties built by the architect Antoni Gaudí in or near Barcelona testify to the artist’s exceptional creative contribution to the development of architecture and building technology in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The seven buildings are – Parque Güell, Palacio Güell, Casa Mila, Casa Vicens, La Sagrada Familia, Casa Batlló, and the Crypt in Colonia Güell.
18. Bagan, Myanmar
Insider Monkey Score: 4
More than 3,500 ancient Buddhist pagodas, temples, and other religious structures occupy approximately 16 square miles of Old Bagan within the larger Bagan Archaeological Zone. Most of the structures were built between 800 and 1,000 years ago, when Bagan was a royal capital.
Tourism in Myanmar has become a concern following the Rohingya crisis, with tourists and tourism organizations debating whether it is safe or ethical to travel to the nation. But beyond the political issues, it is clear that tourism can benefit Myanmar's communities.
17. Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
Insider Monkey Score: 4
The Ecuadorian Government and caretakers of the Galapagos Islands have been stuck in a paradox of saving the economy over saving the ecosystem ever since tourism touched the islands. The Galapagos Islands serve as a major tourism point for the country of Ecuador. However, too much tourism may not only hurt the ecosystems of the irreplaceable islands, but also damage the income of native islanders as well as those impoverished on the mainland.
The Galapagos Islands rank 17th in our List of Most Beautiful World Heritage Sites.
16. Kyoto, Japan
Insider Monkey Score: 4
Kyoto is the cultural, historical, and spiritual center of Japan. From 794 to 1868, Kyoto served as the country’s capital and the imperial residence. Although destroyed by several wars and fires over the years, many of the city’s traditional priceless structures still survive.
15. Stonehenge, England
Insider Monkey Score: 4
Believed to be constructed between 3000 BC to 2000 BC, Stonehenge is one of the world’s most awe-inspiring prehistoric megalithic monuments.
The total contribution of travel and tourism to the U.K.'s GDP increased by 40% from 2020 to 2023.
14. Cappadocia, Turkey
Insider Monkey Score: 4
Cappadocia is a land famous for its distinctive rock formation, historical heritage, and scenic hot air balloon trips. Sitting in Central Anatolia, this historical region attracts crowds of tourists from all over the world.
Cappadocia sits among the Top 15 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
13. Vatican City
Insider Monkey Score: 4
The world’s smallest independent nation-state remains the home of the pope and the Roman Curia, and the spiritual center for some 1.2 billion followers of the Catholic Church. Vatican City generates revenue through museum admissions and the sale of coins, stamps, and publications.
12. Yellowstone National Park, U.S.A.
Insider Monkey Score: 4
The world’s first national park sits on top of a volcanic hot spot and offers everything from great views to fun activities and wildlife sightings. A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that the 3.3 million visitors to Yellowstone in 2022 spent $452 million in communities near the park. That spending supported 6,234 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $600 million.
11. Mont Saint-Michel, France
Insider Monkey Score: 4
A magical island topped by a gravity-defying abbey, the Mont-Saint-Michel and its Bay count among France’s most stunning sights. For centuries one of Europe’s major pilgrimage destinations, this holy island is now a Breathtaking UNESCO World Heritage Site.
