UNESCO World Heritage Sites are natural treasures that belong to all of humanity. They represent some amazing feats of engineering and cultural history. As tourists, it is our responsibility to visit and appreciate these sites in a sustainable manner, ensuring their preservation for future generations.
There are over 1,000 World Heritage sites, all with their own stories. From the majestic Taj Mahal to the spectacular Machu Picchu, these sites represent mankind’s history and make for a great day out for you and your friends or family. However, before visiting a UNESCO World Heritage site, you should seek to conduct thorough research to understand its significance, history, and any guidelines provided by UNESCO.
One potential issue is with smoking. There is no universal ban on smoking at UNESCO sites, it varies from one to another, so you need to be ready to adapt to whatever location you’re visiting.
Here’s everything you need to know if you’re a smoker wishing to visit one of these cultural icons.
Research
It is important to research and understand the rules for smoking at these sites. For instance, the Taj Mahal is considered to be the jewel of Muslim art in India, but you can’t smoke throughout – only certain areas allow such habits. Similarly, visitors to the Ivindo National Park in Africa have to be aware of the potential for fires at the 300,000-ha site. Another site that has different smoking rules is Peru’s Machu Picchu, which not only banned smoking but could also be under serious threat from wildfires.
However, visitors to cities such as Bath and Dubrovnik will be able to smoke outdoors – smokers must then understand their responsibilities around littering and preserving these sites. Of course, smoking is also highly anti-social, and non-smokers may not appreciate those who light up whilst walking around a densely populated attraction, such as Pompeii.
It’s vital to understand the rules, and your responsibilities, and plan accordingly before your trip. With more than 1,000 locations, each is likely to offer a different challenge or restrictions on smoking cigarettes, cigars, and even flavored vapes.
Alternatives
Responsible tourists respect the site’s physical integrity and its surrounding environment, and that might mean smokers change their behavior during the visit. Smoking has been listed as one of the threats to UNESCO sites, and despite affecting some locations more than others, it is generally becoming less acceptable everywhere.
With that in mind, it is worth considering alternatives for some sites, such as nicotine replacement therapies (NRT). Some of these do not impact the environment in the same way as a lit cigarette or, indeed, a fruit-flavored vape. Nicotine pouches, which fit under the top lip, are a great alternative as they can be kept in a tin after use and disposed of at a later date. The nicotine pouches available on Prilla come in different flavors as well, such as coffee and citrus, which may even accentuate your experience. After 30 minutes, they can be placed in the tin in your pocket, meaning no littering, or impact on wherever you’re visiting.
For Machu Picchu, for instance, you may choose to walk the Inca Trail and be given Coca leaves to chew to help deal with the altitude, meaning you don’t want another flavor in your mouth. There are other attractions you may not wish to have an NRT in your mouth, or indeed carry a small tin in your pocket. Therefore, a non-oral NRT might be better, such as NicoDerm CQ transdermal patch. They fit nicely on the skin and are discreet, plus some can be worn for up to 24 hours, meaning you can dispose at a later date.
Both are likely to be better than gum unless it comes with a small tin for disposal. The key to an NRT for a UNESCO site is you must leave no footprint and, where possible, not cause unnecessary annoyance to those around you.
Conclusion
Being a responsible tourist at a UNESCO World Heritage site involves many elements outside of smoking, such as conducting thorough research on your destination, respecting local communities, and minimizing environmental impact. However, as a smoker, your impact is likely to be more significant, and therefore it is vitally important you understand not only the rules but also the likely impact even if smoking is allowed. You must ensure your habit, does not impact the preservation and longevity of these incredible sites for future generations to enjoy.
