From Australia's Great Barrier Reef to the city of Budapest and the watery wonderland that is Venice, several beauty spots risk losing their treasured UN World Heritage status because of environmental damage, excess development or overtourism
Image: Sarah Lai / AFP
In a draft report released ahead of a key meeting next month, the UN's Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recommended Monday a major revamp of the heritage list.
Here are some of the sites that risk losing their treasured Heritage Site status, a move that could seriously dent their tourist appeal.
Great Barrier Reef: in danger
Stretching 2,300 kilometres (1,400 miles) along Australia's northeast coast, the world's largest coral reef system, a huge draw for tourists, has been battered by global warming.