Local governments realised that investments to preserve the natural surroundings of the province wouldn’t have been a waste, since the increase in tourism opportunities that the scenery of the Dolomites was bringing.

To protect them, two parks were instituted in the province: the Ampezzo dolomites natural park and the Belluno Dolomites National park, both in 1990.

This move allowed the local authorities to gain access to national funds and knowledge to help preserve the beauty of the surrounding nature. 

Following the National park status administrations joined by authorities and local institutions began a campaign to make the Dolomites a part of the UNESCO’s world heritage sites.

In 2009 in Seville (Spain) they were recognized by UNESCO  as one of their sites. This recognition brought much joy and pride in the people of Belluno because five of the nine dolomite mountain ranges are in the province.

The UNESCO’s site’s vast area is significant: covering a total of 231.000 hectares and encompassing 5 provinces: Belluno, Udine, Pordenone, trento and Bolzano. Besides the Dolomites, the Alps scored other natural sites only in Switzerland, bringing even more honour to the populations of the five provinces.

Nonetheless, being recognized in the World Heritage List means that these mountains hold significant and exceptional universal value. Thus, a code of virtuous and conscious conduct is very much needed to keep this extraordinary site intact over time.