One thousand visitors or fewer
WHS core zones that have only 1,000 visitors a year or fewer.
- Total given upon inscription, as stated in the AB evaluation or the nomination file. If it is not given, reliable data sources such as IUCN Outlook and UNEP/WCMC can be used.
- Reflects the number of visitors in a ‘normal’ year, not at a temporary low (because of Covid, restoration, war, etc).
- It also excludes the sites that have never been open to tourists.
Sites may see a growth in tourism after the inscription and go beyond the 1,000 – but not excessively so or they will be delisted from this connection. And the reverse counts as well: sites that start out a bit above 1,000 but afterward consistently stay below.
Sites where no exact visitor statistics are known, but are likely to be under 1,000, are marked with DD ("Data Deficient") below.
Connected Sites
| Site | Rationale | Link |
| 'Uruq Bani Ma'arid | "The total number of visitors to the protected area since 2013 reached a total of 1,058 persons, which is low considering the vast nominated area." (AB ev) | |
| Air and Téneré | DD :“Il n'y a pas eu de tourisme dans la zone en raison des problčmes d'insécurité jusqu'en 2013. Par la suite, il y a eu quelques petites excursions organisées par des opérateurs locaux, mais pas de maničre officielle” | |
| Aldabra Atoll | Listed as 1,300 in 1996 (IUCN working paper on Human Use, 1998). And in 2002: "the number of visitors is under 500 per year and the number of visiting cruise ships has reduced in the past couple of years" (see link) | |
| Ancient ferrous metallurgy sites | DD : “Visitor pressure is non-existent at present, as the serial property is not yet included in official tourism circuits, and is only a subject of scientific research” (AB ev) | |
| Ashur | “There are ca 1,000 visitors per year.” (AB ev) | |
| Bamiyan Valley | DD : “There are no statistics available on the number of visitors and tourism activities. As Afghanistan has suffered many years of civil unrest in the past two decades, tourism development has been scarce in recent years.” (there may be a reasonable number of local visitors) | |
| Bassari Country | "There are no reliable visitor statistics for the region..... Very touristy places like the village of Dindéfello attract only a few visitors per week. The village of Ethiolo in Bassari Country can see a month go by without receiving visitors."(nom file, translated from French) | |
| Bikini Atoll | DD : “Tourist facilities have remained very limited up to now, but some accommodation capacity does exist, particularly on the islet of Eneu, with a set of buildings | |
| Comoé National Park | “Depuis 2012, les activités touristiques ont repris et le nombre de touristes visitant le parc augmente chaque année (149 visiteurs en 2015, 242 en 2016 et 533 en 2017). (IUCN Outlook 2020) | |
| Darien National Park | Visitor numbers are not high except for birdwatchers, attracted by one of the finest centres in the world for the sport. Fewer than 700 visitors were recently recorded (UNEP-WCMC) | |
| Dja Faunal Reserve | “En 2014, l’écotourisme représente un total de 114 touristes dont 7 nationaux, 11 résidents et 96 étrangers” (IUCN Outlook 2020) | |
| East Rennell | DD : “In the mid-2000s, for example, only about 15 tourists per year visited East Rennell (Gabrys & Heywood, 2012). In addition, by the mid-2000s, all businesses established and supported through the nomination process had failed (Tabbasum & Dingwall, 2005). More recent data on tourist arrivals to Rennell is not readily available, but is unlikely to be significantly different from the mid-2000s figures. “ source: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/app5.311 | |
| Ennedi Massif | "“Tourism is little developed in the area due to logistical challenges, visitor numbers are currently estimated between 200 to 600 people a year.” (AB ev)" | |
| French Austral Lands and Seas | “Less than 350 people visit the islands annually” (AB ev) | |
| Garamba National Park | DD : “In 2017, a new tourist lodge was completed and efforts to promote tourism are ongoing. Occasional international groups do visit the park but the current climate of insecurity is a major constraint. However an important local market (>1000 expatriates working for a nearby industrial gold mining complex) is being tapped” | |
| Gough and Inaccessible Islands | “Tourist numbers to both component islands of the site are very low, with ca. 40 visitors to Gough Island annually as part of the annual weather station relief voyage. Visits to Inaccessible are few, and usually restricted to researchers or conservation staff.” (IUCN Outlook 2020) | |
| Heard and McDonald Islands | DD : “There have been no recent commercial tourism visits (2015 - 2020) but an unknown number and frequency of visits associated with fisheries inspections and Customs monitoring in EEZ, some of which are known to land on Heard Island.” (IUCN Outlook 2020) | |
| Henderson Island | DD : “Tourist numbers are very limited” (IUCN Outlook 2020) At nearby Pitcairn island “ approximately 800-1,000 passengers set foot on the island annually” http://www.pitcairn.pn/Pitcairn%20Islands%20Economic%20Report%20-%20Final%20Report.pdf | |
| Ivindo National Park | “Tourism and levels of visitation remain very low for the time being, with less than 200 people visiting annually prior to Covid-19.” (AB ev) | |
| Kujataa | “A normal season in Qassiarsuk has about 1,000 paying guests. The ruin site/reconstructions and Kujataa Information Center in Qassiarsuk had 135 paying guests and Igaliku had 94.” (official website) | |
| Kuk | DD: "Current visitation is negligable" (Periodic Reporting 2012) | |
| Lakes of Ounianga | “Data provided by the tour operators and local authorities indicate an annual number of 200 to 600 tourists visiting the site in small groups” (AB ev) | |
| Landscapes of Dauria | "“The managers of Daursky SNBR are moving very cautiously and do not plan to greatly increase the number of tourists, currently the park receives about 600 visitors per year. In Mongolia there is no systematic visitor counting.” (IUCN Outlook 2020)" | |
| Lorentz National Park | “Owing to difficulties with security and access and lack of facilities, tourists totalled less than 100 in 1998.” | |
| Los Katios National Park | "DD : “While at the time of writing, Los Katíos is still closed to the public (UAESPNN, 2020) according to State Party (2019), a plan is under development to restore visitor facilities and promote nature-based tourism on relatively short term (""Ecotourism Corridor of Ciénagas” sponsored by the BIOCARIBE Connection Project – GEF and implemented by FAO). (IUCN Outlook 2020)" | |
| Lower Valley of the Awash | DD: Closed to tourists until at least 2001. Needs Afar permit, escort and detour. "over 650 tourists from France, Djibouti, Britain, Germany, United States, Italy, Japan and Spain visited the state [Afar] over the past seven months" (2007) | |
| Macquarie Island | 400 in 1991 (IUCN doc summary) | |
| Malpelo | “a relatively small number of less than 500 divers visit the site per year” (IUCN Outlook 2020) | |
| Manovo-Gounda St. Floris | DD : “Le tourisme est impossible dans la région en raison de l'insécurité (UNEP/WCMC, 2012). Cela a entraîné une réduction drastique des safaris de chasse, qui représentaient une source de revenus trčs importante pour le site et la région. (IUCN Outlook 2020) | |
| Mbanza Kongo | “The current number of visitors, most of whom are local or regional, is low (508 in 2010 at the Museum of the Kings of Kongo, 892 in 2014). (AB ev) | |
| Minaret of Jam | DD : “There are no statistics of visitors available. There are no visitor facilities, as the rest house built in the 1970's was destroyed during the civil unrest years.” (nom file) | |
| Mount Hamiguitan | DD : “Whilst visitation to the site is currently restricted to management, scientific research and monitoring purposes, it is planned to establish tourism access to the site in future.” (AB ev) - There are strict controls over access to the site. In pursuit of establishing sustainable financing mechanisms and promote sustainable livelihoods to the communities, the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) decided to lift the closure of MHRWS to trekking and mountaineering in 2017 (IUCN Consultation, 2020a). However, the policy mitigates against potential associated threats through protocols and restrictions to maintain the site's integrity and values. For example, visitor entry is limited to 30 heads per climb and only within the established trails and campsites as described in Volume 2 of the Nomination Dossier of MHRWS (IUCN outlook 2020) | |
| Nahanni National Park | “There are only a few hundred visitors each year” (IUCN Outlook 2020), but straddles between 770 and 1302 in the period 2010-2020. | |
| Noel Kempff Mercado National Park | “Tourism to the park is currently extremely limited--less than a thousand visitors per year” (AB ev) | |
| Okapi Wildlife Reserve | DD : “The Reserve has a small guest house which receives a small but steady flow of visitors. The rehabilitated RN4 highway improved access for tourism.” (IUCN Outlook 2020) | |
| Petroglyphs of the Mongolian Altai | DD : “Tourist number is currently tiny” | |
| Phoenix Islands | DD : “A National Tourism Strategy is currently being prepared. There are plans for tourism development in at least two of the islands.” (AB ev) | |
| Putorana Plateau | “In 2005, 437 people visited the reserve, including 30 tourist groups, 170 individuals and 3 scientifi c researchers.“ several thousand tourists visit the buffer zone per year. ” – may by now have risen well beyond 1,000: “y. More recent data is unavailable, however tourist numbers were growing rapidly at the time of inscription in 2010 (IUCN, 2010)” (IUCN Outlook 2020) | |
| Rio Abiseo National Park | "DD : “Despite the evident tourism potential of the landscape and the fascinating archaeological sites, public visits are highly restricted and controlled due to the property’s fragility. (unesco website). “Cabe mejorar el control de las visitas. El turismo y la recreación en el sector de Churo del Parque, que «(IUCN Outlook)" | |
| Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve | DD : “Despite the obvious attractiveness of the area, in particular along the Caribbean coast, tourism remains in its infancy and is restricted to a small niche of scientific and adventure tourism, primarily due to the combination of a difficult security situation and minimal infrastructure” (IUCN Outlook 2020) | |
| Ruins of Loropéni | “The modest visitor income, from around 200 visitors a Year” (AB ev) | |
| Salonga National Park | DD: “There are currently no tourism activities in Salonga National Park.” (IUCN Outlook 2020” | |
| Sanganeb | DD : “There is an increasing number of large tourist liveaboard vessels (motor sailing yachts) that have been visiting the site in recent years, most of which originate from Egypt” | |
| Sangha Trinational | DD: “The development of touristic infrastructure is adequate for such a remote area and seems appropriate to deal with the currently very low numbers of visitors” (AB ev) | |
| Sub-Antarctic Islands | “annual visitation to this site has fluctuated from approximately 250 to 750 visitors since the mid-2000s.” | |
| Sukur | DD: the mgt plan suggests it is visitable, even has a souvenir shop and trained volunteer guides. Although “Most of the directional signs leading visitors to the site have been tampered with overtime.” Boko Haram Insurgency 2014-2016. https://whc.unesco.org/document/167904 | |
| Taï National Park | “En ce moment la station d’écotourisme de Djouroutou reçoit en moyenne, 100 touristes par an. (IUCN Outlook 2020) | |
| Thimlich Ohinga | 247 in 2011, of which 48 were foreigners. | |
| Uvs Nuur Basin | DD : “Controlled and uncontrolled tourism activities are affecting some of the component areas of this serial site, such as Tore-Khol Lake (IUCN Consultation, 2017) and could cause a negative impact on the natural and cultural values of the site (Schuerholz et al., 2007). However, the opportunities for large-scale tourism in the basin are currently very limited, due to its remoteness and lack of tourism infrastructure.” (IUCN Outlook 2020) | |
| Wrangel Island | “Only one tourist group consisting of 6 people visited the Island during the last 3 years, though over the previous 5 years the Reserve received 9 “terrestrial groups” (2 to 15 people) and 8 cruise vessels (40 to 80 people each).” (nom file) |
Suggestions?
Do you know of another WHS we could connect to One thousand visitors or fewer?
A connection should:
- Not be "self evident"
- Link at least 3 different sites
- Not duplicate or merely subdivide the "Category" assignment already identified on this site.
- Add some knowledge or insight (whether significant or trivial!) about WHS for the users of this site
- Be explained, with reference to a source