UNESCO is against the removal of parts of the protected area of the Pirin National Park and the emergence of new ski areas in the winter resort Bansko. The organization is adamant and will not allow parts of the park to be removed, in order to develop tourism, which is written in a official document published on the website of the organization.
According to the new management plan for Pirin National Park protected area of the park must be deducted 4,000 hectares to develop the ski tourism in the area. The authors of the idea claim that these are part of the 12,000 hectares included in the protected area in 2008
In the plan presented to UNESCO are provided tourist zones in the periphery of the National Park, which should serve as a buffer against the flow of people and restrict access to areas with high conservation value. Director of the Centre for World Cultural Heritage of UNESCO – Kishore Rao pointed out that in areas of tourist activity must have detailed plans for the evaluation of environmental impact.
Rao also said that a decision was already taken in 2010 for the buffer zone in the region of Bansko and Dobrinishte, which preclude the possibility of future changes in the boundary of the World Cultural Heritage.
