Here's what the National Geographic Sustainable Destinations Survey for 2009 has to say about Petra -- one of the THREE World Heritage sites in Jordan:

Jordan: Petra Score: 60 Recently named one of the "New" Seven Wonders of the World, Petra is an ancient desert city carved into hillsides. "Aesthetically, there is perhaps no more beautiful site in the world." Its remote location has preserved it until now, but "when was the last time representatives of the different communities sat down and discussed how they could work together to retain this jewel?" Here is a representative sampling of additional anonymous comments from the panelists. They are not necessarily the views of the National Geographic Society: "Petra is a shocking, fantastic archaeological site, and the structures seem to be holding up all right. The main issues I saw had to do with management and community relations. Locals do little more than sell trinkets, while visitors escape to luxury hotels when night falls. There also is significant tension with local Bedouin people who have been moved off the site." "Marvelous ancient ruin with perplexing architecture. As the site is a bit hidden and can only be accessed along a dusty path, no motorized vehicle can reach it. This helps preserve the environmental and ecological quality of the site. There were many locals involved in tourism businesses at the entrance of the site, and a few souvenir and small restaurants inside the site. Apart from the crowd of tourists, the site manages to remain appealing." "An archaeological treasure in great trouble. Its geology, which is part of its attraction, is for sale at every corner. Donkey and horse-carriage owners are aggressive and ask for exorbitant fees. Animal droppings are all around. Another great place that loses because of poor crowd control as well as poor supervision to ensure a quality visit." "The tombs are truly magnificent and untouched. The walk along the town culminates in a small archaeological museum. The archaeological sites are more exciting. The facades are all in quite good shape, as is the Byzantine Monastery. The local Bedouins have occupied the site for several hundred years, and while they no longer make their homes in the tombs, they are present to sell souvenirs and jewelry. Site is basically accessible by tour and is well explained by guides. Do not walk downhill in the cool of the morning without expecting that the uphill climb in the afternoon is going to be hot."

The lessons in this course offer you valuable insights about World Heritage sites, and useful trip-planning information for visitors.