What is a World Heritage Site?

Think of the first time you stood at the precipice of the Grand Canyon, walked the historic centers of European cities like Venice or Verona, or toured ancient ruins such as the Valley of the Kings. The profound feelings of intrigue and awe while one explores unique cultures and natural landscapes foreign to their everyday life are some of the most compelling reasons to international group travel.

The grandeur of such destinations can fascinate the mind and captivate the heart by showcasing natural beauty, giving insights into the passions or plight of mankind, or simply making group travelers marvel at the creations of the past. It makes one question, what happens if such intriguing world heritage sites become at risk of being destroyed? What world attractions are important to us as a human race regardless of nationality and how do we protect them for years to come?

The United Nations created a committee called the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to recognize, support, and aid cultural and natural places on earth that have impacted the world. One of the most important actions UNESCO can accomplish is to rally international aid to insure the welfare of humanity’s history as a whole; they have done this through the creation of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

What is a World Heritage Site? The truly glorious creations of our world, both by nature and by man, are celebrated as world heritage sites. These sites impact the spirit, whether by showcasing the creations of genius, landmarks of human development, or truly awesome formations of nature. A world heritage site is irreplaceable, but more than that, its splendor is worth saving in perpetuity for the entire human race. As of the summer of 2011, there are 936 properties on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list.

The international group travel and tours YMT Vacations offers often include at least one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites; many of the group tours include numerous world heritage places such as the Ancient Egypt Cruise and Tour and the Ancient Lands Tour & Mediterranean Cruise . While it would be almost impossible for anyone to see the almost 1,000 UNESCO heritage sites, choosing international vacation packages that visit the type of world attractions that will intrigue and captivate your imagination the most, can insure a vitality to your memories that rarely treats everyday life.

If you are looking to experience the truly natural heritage of living landmarks the earth has created, check out the Hawaii City Lights and Volcanoes Tour that explores the UNESCO world heritage site of Volcanoes National Park. If you are looking to see cultural landmarks that shaped Europe, the Transatlantic Cruise and European Tour will not only take you there in style, but puts a dozen UNESCO world heritage sites at your feet. And if you want to step into ancient time and see ruins of civilizations that have long passed, the Classic Greece, Aegean Islands, and Turkey Cruise will make ancient history come alive around you.

There is so much in the world we will never know or get to ever experience; so much about our history as a human race and the history of our planet as a whole that group tours can only see the remnants of. As technology continues to expand our horizons and the terrain and cultures of our world change anew, it is important to preserve monuments of our past so that world heritage tours can be experienced by future generations.