It has made it to the Guardian as well, so well done to the team promoting Benidorm for this years holiday period.

Whilst I'm actually quite interested in these mass tourism sites, they are testament an incredible change in human activity, I did have a bit of a chuckle at this statement "It’s the most sustainable and best-designed city of the Mediterranean". I think anyone that has been there would struggle to find the concrete jumble of gloomy substandard concrete blocks as being "well-designed" let alone the best in the Mediterranean.

Still I think there is something to explore in the reflection of mass tourism sites, I just have horrible flashbacks to the times I have been to Benidorm.

Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade sites: IT'S ABOUT TIME!!!

http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/191580/historic-manila-acapulco-galleon-trade-set-for-n omination-to-unesco-world-heritage-list

"Mexico and the Philippines are teaming up for the transnational nomination of the historic Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade route to the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco)."

"... the inscription of the Qhapaq �'an, Andean Road System in South America and the Tianshan corridor of the Silk Roads in China, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyztan in last year’s World Heritage Convention in Qatar, strengthened Mexico’s position to nominate the galleon route for world heritage..."

"...Galleon trade was significant because it linked four continents and two oceans and contributed to the development of trade in Asia, Europe and the Americas."

"If they were able to do this, our route (Mexico-Acapulco Galleon Trade Route) was more impressive and it had more world-changing impacts that did not only involve the Philippines but ramified into other countries, that multiplied in terms of culture and civilizations and all of these”

It looks really interesting and isn't something I was particularly aware of before.

Is there anything particularly tangible there to constitute a World Heritage Site? The effects on food and culture look really interesting, and there are archives mentioned so perhaps the Intangible Heritage or Memory of the World would be a better route.

Two tangible sites were identified:
1) Spanish colonial shipyards:
http://www.magallanes-sorsogon.com.ph/index.php/astillero-de-bagatao
2) Underwater archaeology (multiple sites, I assume)

IMHO, the Spanish colonial fortifications should be "packaged" along with this property, especially since some (or most) watchtowers, church-fortresses and forts were built to counter pirate attacks, and to safeguard the Galleon route from the San Bernardino Strait to Manila Bay.

Thanks for the response, yep I guess the coastal defences would make a very tangible addition to this. I was having a look at Acapulco but couldn't see that much there, but perhaps the underwater aspects could be there as well.

The return of Manila's Intramuros nomination!

Feels like a dream to have Manila Intramuros re-nominated. 70 years after the 1945 Battle of Manila and many buildings within Historic Intramuros are still in ruins. Yes, maybe the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade nomination project will revive the old city.

There is a 2013 minor boundary modification of the San Agustin Church that includes all of Intramuros:
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/677/multiple=1&unique_number=1955

The road over the Großglockner, Austria's highest mountain, seems to be under discussion as a WHS - the road equivalent to the Semmering Railway. Definitely very, very scenic - not sure about the OUV.

http://salzburg.orf.at/news/stories/2719498/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grossglockner_High_Alpine_Road

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grossglockner_High_Alpine_Road

http://salzburg.orf.at/news/stories/2719498/

sorry about the links...

South Patagonia (Argentina and Chile)
http://elmundo.sv/organizacion-pide-que-patagonia-sea-declarada-patrimonio-de-la-huma nidad/

Route of Magellan (Brazil)
http://www.portugalvivo.com/itineraire-de-magalhaes-souhaite.html

Cathar castles - extension to Carcassonne (France)
http://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2015/08/11/2157996-les-chateaux-cathares-au-patrimoin e-mondial-de-l-unesco.html

Alsatian vineyards (France) oh no!!
http://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/alsace/les-vins-d-alsace-au-patrimoine-mondial -de-l-unesco-773795.html

Soli (Turkey)
http://aujourdhuilaturquie.com/fr/le-site-archeologique-de-soli-pompeiopolis-ambition ne-dentrer-au-patrimoine-mondial-de-lunesco/

Lagoon of Mayotte (France)
http://www.ipreunion.com/photo-du-jour/reportage/2015/07/18/inscription-a-l-unesco-le -lagon-mahorais-concourt-au-patrimoine-mondial,31724.html

Cannes (France)
http://www.lefigaro.fr/culture/2015/05/19/03004-20150519ARTFIG00318-cannes-annonce-sa -candidature-au-patrimoine-mondial-de-l-unesco.php

Toulouse (France)
http://www.lemoniteur.fr/article/patrimoine-mondial-de-l-humanite-christine-albanel-a ccompagne-la-candidature-de-toulouse-28596662

Roofs of Paris (France) apparently not a joke.
http://www.metronews.fr/paris/les-toits-de-paris-bientot-classes-au-patrimoine-mondia l-de-l-unesco/mobd!1BiGuHMzNFdM/

Taxco (Mexico)
http://bajopalabra.mx/2015/08/11/proponen-a-taxco-como-patrimonio-cultural-de-la-huma nidad-ante-unesco/

Sierra la Laguna (Mexico)
http://www.bcsnoticias.mx/buscan-que-sierra-de-la-laguna-sea-declarada-patrimonio-de- la-humanidad-por-la-unesco/

Ribeira Sacra (Spain)
http://www.farodevigo.es/portada-ourense/2015/07/18/ourense-lugo-buscan-ribeira-sacra /1280610.html

Parras (Mexico)
http://www.milenio.com/region/Parras_de_la_Fuente-Ruben_Moreira_Valdez-Parras_Patrimo nio_de_la_Humanidad_0_559744309.html

Leon (Spain)
http://www.diariodeleon.es/noticias/cultura/vamos-luchar-leon-sea-patrimonio-humanida d_996165.html

San Carlos (Mexico)
http://plumaslibres.com.mx/2015/07/29/136592/

Del Angel cave (Spain)
http://www.diariocordoba.com/noticias/cordobaprovincia/cueva-angel-aspira-ser-patrimo nio-humanidad_977791.html

Benidorm (Spain)
http://lamarinaplaza.com/2015/07/29/podria-benidorm-ser-patrimonio-de-la-humanidad/


Numancia (Spain)
http://www.larazon.es/local/castilla-y-leon/alfredo-jimeno-reivindica-que-numancia-se a-declarada-patrimonio-inmaterial-de-la-humanidad-OB10444912#.Ttt18YiSxIqtRi0

La Rabida (Spain)
http://huelva24.com/not/74066/la-junta-recibe-el-expediente-de-candidatura-de-la-rabi da-como-patrimonio-de-la-humanidad/

La Antigua (Mexico)
http://enlacecordoba.com/noticias-estatales/21833-la-antigua-podria-ser-patrimonio-na tural-de-la-humanidad

Hmm seems you can't quote from a mobile.

But I like the country code for Benidorm.

Also Alsace Vinyards!!!???!!! I love nothing more than an Alsatian Gewǔrtztramiener, but I think I would have to start boycotting on principle!

Maybe they should just inscribe Vineyards of France (or Drinks are on the French) and be done with it.



They can't even say why they deserve inscription? Could be a church, aerospace, pastell ... Two of those criteria are already covered by existing WHS in France. Church is path of Camino Santiago. Pastel is part of Albi.


I think there are very pretty cities on the Cote d'Azur. I dont think Cannes is the nicest one of those. I prefer Nice.

Corrected it. Think I was too tired copying all these links.


I love the argument: If Burgundy and Champagne have their vineyards inscribed, why not us too? With Burgundy and Champagne inscribed the same year I don't think the get the idea of a balanced list conveyed. The same is true of Pas de Calais mines inscribed the same year as Wallonian ones.


At least one cannot say the French are not original in their pursuit of world heritage. This reminds me of the British proposal of the underground components of York (not pursued) and the German attempt to have a mediaeval cathedral in Naumburg nominated as cultural landscape. Instead of promoting truly worthy sites these well represented countries are often drawn to semantic games in their representation of their sites, focusing on the nomination dossier instead of on the site itself. Unesco does not seem to counter this trend decisively enough.
Let's hope that France (as well as Spain) will at least stop these initiatives early enough instead of spending so much money and wasting everyone's time. However, with such nominations forwarded by France as Nimes and Metz I am not sure one could rely on that.


If forwarded, this would be the by far largest WHS.

Grinzing (Austria) - yet another wine growing landscape
http://www.weltkulturerbe-grinzing.at/