ABOUT WORLD HERITAGE

From the Statue of Liberty to Angkor Wat, World Heritage sites are internationally recognized for their outstanding value to humanity. As sources of national pride and tourist revenue, the sites emulate the model pioneered in Yellowstone National Park in the U.S., wonders of the world where preservation works.

There are currently 851 designated World Heritage sites that span 184 countries and offer an extraordinary range of travel experiences. These sites have been internationally recognized for their outstanding value and are protected by the 1972 World Heritage Convention, signed by 184 countries and administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

World Heritage sites include many of the most iconic travel spots on the planet, such as the Great Barrier Reef in Australia; the Egyptian Pyramids; the Taj Mahal in India; England’s Stonehenge; the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador; and 20 sites in the United States.

But the list also encompasses scores of lesser-known places of singular importance, including Garamba National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo; the Buddhist Borobudur Temple Compounds in Central Java, Indonesia; the archaeologically rich Orkhon Valley in Mongolia; and the sub-Antarctic islands of New Zealand, home to more than 125 separate species of birds.

Friends of World Heritage is a grassroots campaign of the World Heritage Alliance with support from the UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Through Friends of World Heritage individuals can discover, share, and preserve World Heritage sites through sustainable tourism. Friends of World Heritage offers ways that travelers can give back to the places they treasure the most. Donations to Friends of World Heritage are matched by Expedia, Inc. and the UN Foundation, up to $50,000 from each partner.
www.friendsofworldheritage.com

UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre is the coordinator within UNESCO for matters related to World Heritage. The website provides the list and significance for the 800+ natural, cultural, and mixed World Heritage sites.
whc.unesco.org

To learn more about World Heritage, visit:
• U.S. National Park Service – U.S. World Heritage
• Parks Canada – Canadian World Heritage