Travel

Famed Uluru rock in Australia closes tomorrow – is tourism ruining UNESCO heritage sites?


Tourism is a huge financial boost for countries all around the world, with travellers flocking to famous landmarks for once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Unfortunately, in recent years a string of UNESCO site closures has meant that globetrotters may no longer enjoy these experiences anymore. The most recent announcement was for the closure of Uluru rock in Australia.

Set to close to foot traffic tomorrow, masses of hopefuls took to the national park today in a bid to climb the rock one last time.

Uluru rock, set in the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, is a sacred landmark for aboriginal people who have been caught in a battle with the government for years over the issue.

The Anangu people took implored the board of the park to end the climb due to the rock’s spiritual significance.

In 2017 a unanimous vote was reached, also citing the need for safety and to protect the environment.

The massive monolith, often referred to as Ayers Rock by visitors, stands at 348m high and can experience temperature of up to 47C in the summer months.

The climb, while rich in scenic views, can prove treacherous for tourists and has even seen climbers dying of dehydration and other heat-related issues.

READ MORE: Lonely Planet’s top destinations 2020: England named second – only beaten by Bhutan [TOP TEN]

A string of wishful climbers raced to the park today to make one last ascent up the sacred land’s summit before a gate was closed to the zone for good.

A Twitter user named Oliver Gordon posted a time-lapse video to Twitter showing the snaking line stretching throughout the park as early as 7am.

Meanwhile, the leader of the Australian Labour Party Anthony Albanese posted a tweet saying: “I don’t want people scrambling all over the roof of St Mary’s Cathedral – so why is it okay for people to scramble all over the top of Uluru?

“Uluru is precious. It has deep spiritual significance for the Traditional Owners who rightly want it protected.”

The wider UNESCO National Park will remain open to visitors.

This is just the latest in world heritage sites placing a ban pn tourists.

While not all closures are permanent, many do deny access to visitors for certain time periods in order to allow the area to flourish.

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Maya Bay, Thailand

In Thailand, Maya Bay, made famous by 2000 film “The Beach” starring Leonardo DiCaprio, was closed to tourists until 2021 to salvage the area’s coral reefs.

Boracay Island, The Philippines

In the Philippines, the Boracay Island resort was closed for a six-month clean up from April to October 2017 after President Rodrigo Duterte described the area as a “cesspool”. The island saw over two million visitors in 2016, but has now limited numbers to 19,000 per day and banned beach parties, smoking and drinking.

Mount Everest Base Camp, China

Mount Everest Base Camp in China has now closed to anyone without a climbing permit after piles of rubbish started to affect the site according to Lonely Planet.

Fjadrarglijufur Canyon ,Iceland

Following its feature in a Justin Bieber music video, the site had to close after fans descended, damaging the land with the sudden increase in foot traffic.

The Faroe Islands, Denmark

Ten popular tourists sites in the region closed this year temporarily for maintenance after seeing a 10 per cent growth in visitors.

Despite the closures, many of the countries these world-famous sites are home to are growing in popularity.

In fact, the latest statistics from the Office for National Statistics reveals that Britons are shunning once-popular European and North American holidays in favour of new far-flung locations.

Though the report does not specify where these far-flung destinations are, it does reveal tourism to these regions increased by two per cent to 2.6 million.

Luckily, another recent report highlighting where British tourists are spending their money reveals that countries including Australia, New Zealand and Thailand are among some of the most popular.

According to Globehunters, Australia takes the crown for the ultimate spending hotspot, with the average tourist reportedly spending £3,882 each for the duration of their trip.

Other countries that were highlighted include Lebanon and New Zealand with tourists spending £3,361 and £2,372 respectively.



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