Heritage News This Week

Venice and its Lagoon

The inclusion of�any site in the UNESCO World Heritage list usually gives a huge boost to tourism there. Mount Fuji�s inclusion has spurred a huge reaction among international travelers and agencies too. Environmentalists however, have pointed to the possibility of littering and erosion due to the larger number of tourists.

Sites on the UNESCO list sometimes overshadow other heritage right next to them, with even tourists giving them a miss – Villa Poppaea near the historic site of Pompeii is a case in point. But UNESCO’s concerns over the conservation of Pompeii, a loss of the WHS tag could be even more detrimental to these lesser known sites.

Trying to strike a balance between progress and conservation is a challenge everywhere, this week Malaysia is in the news. While iconic structures with national historical values have found support from the government, structures in smaller communities have not.

In other news, the city of Venice is considering a conjestion charge to limit the number of visitors.

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