If asked by any stranger my most desirable places to go when traveling I'd likely think for a few seconds only. I'd likely say: doesn't matter, any place that has some kind of cultural, historical and/or aesthetic raison d'etre. (Okay, maybe not in those words.) Still, after years in the travel industry, as far as I can tell this is a matter of importance pretty much every traveler out there.

Fortunately for us the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization exists, or easier, Unesco. The organization was set up to tell us where those aforementioned places are, in what state of preservation they exist and how threatened they are by natural or man-made exposure.

Since 1972, the United Nations and World Heritage Program of Unesco has been nominating sites around the world for inclusion on their copious list, one that catalogues, exposes and conserves places of "outstanding cultural or natural importance to the common heritage of humanity". Not coincidentally, they are the same best places to show off in a photo slideshow for your friends back home.

As of 2009 there are 890 sites listed in the program, of which 689 are cultural, 176 are natural and 25 are of mixed delineation, located in a total of 148 countries around the world, making 75% of the world's nations having at least one heritage site located inside their borders. In an age of runaway corporate, industrial and agricultural development that figure definitely makes me feel better about the state of our world's artistic and natural interests. The North America/Europe zone tops the list with 440 sites, with Asia/Pacific coming in next with 186. And Cultural sites (those man-made) outnumber Natural 4 to 1, perhaps outlining Unesco's service to showcasing the disappearing cultural legacy of mankind.

One aspect of the program that has mixed reactions is that there are locals looking to exploit the sites, transforming some into nothing more than your average tourist trap. That being said, the value of these places, the Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China and  Angkor Wat for example, is still amazingly high, and visits to these places are not detracted in any way by the droves going to see them. If humanity bothers you, there are still hundreds of locations that are completely off the radar for your average tourist. Take East Rennell in the Solomon Islands, the world's largest raised coral atoll, located a thousand miles from the nearest major landmass. Or else, the Al-Hijr Archaeological Site in Saudi Arabia, an ancient desert glyph almost completely alienated from human interaction.

If you're interested visiting World Heritage sites along the course of your trip but don't know which, Unesco's website should be the perfect resource: an impeccably researched, information-rich portal providing an easy way to discover each one, with links to news, events and activities relevant to the spot. 

Be warned though, some of the destinations on Unesco's list are not an easy jaunt with a hotel nearby. Many are remote, miles away from the nearest airport, and even farther from a major city, and some are in relatively hostile climates, politically and/or environmentally. If you're interested in visiting a location and having a hard time deciding on the toll it will take on your body and budget to get there, talk to a travel consultant and tell them your idea. They'll be able to let you know whether going to a site will be worth the drama.  

Of course we always encourage interesting destinations, if the wherewithal is there. Go ahead and connect some of Unesco dots for a theme of your around the world journey. Plug a trip into Trip Planner and see how much it will likely cost to do it. Note that many of these places will not be shown in Trip Planner if the city is too small or underdeveloped. Simply find the closest city that is listed and your travel consultant will get you to the exact point of arrival.