Preservation's Double-Edged Sword

"Even as UNESCO's World Heritage List succeeds in protecting cultural and natural treasures, critics question its use as a tool for tourism promotion—and say it's growing too quickly...At the same time, the power of the list can be a double-edged sword: the designation provides invaluable protection against overdevelopment or environmental damage, but it is also a marketing opportunity for tourism, opening the door, in some cases, to the very threats that led to a site's inclusion in the first place."

Thanks to stephen morris