Italy Is the Country With the Most World Heritage Sites

Italy is home to the largest number of UNESCO world heritage sites. After the 2023/24 announcement of new sites, the country's count went up to 60 world heritage locations. The newest addition is the 800-kilometer-long Via Appia, the "oldest and most important of the great roads built by the Ancient Romans", according to UNESCO. In 2023, one of the country's major tourist destinations and cultural landmarks, Venice and its lagoon, was nominated for the list of endangered monuments after over a decade of deliberation and calls to action for the city administration to finalize safeguards against climate change and over-tourism threats. As of now, Venice is still on the World Heritage List.

China is the runner-up behind Italy, with a total of 59 properties. Two of these sites, the Beijing Central Axis running through the capital and Badain Jaran Desert located in the Alashan Plateau in northwestern China, were added this year. Germany further bolsters its third place with one additional site, the Schwerin Residence Ensemble consisting of 38 buildings including Schwerin castle, raising the tally to 54 sites in 2023/2024. The top five is rounded out by France with 53 sites, including newly-added Marquesas Islands in the South Pacific, and Spain with 50 sites.

In total, the UNESCO list includes 1,223 monuments in 168 countries as world heritage sites. No matter how many additions, any new property on the list is sure to boost tourism when winning the prestigious label. The United States stood at 26 listed sites after the 2023/2024 council session - rank 12. The listed properties include the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone National Park, the Taos Pueblo and Philadelphia’s Independence Hall. The UK added Scotland's Flow Country this year, while a decision to put Stonehenge on the list of endangered monuments due to a tunnel project in the surrounding area has been pushed to 2024/2025.