To achieve its objectives, the park organization encourages the development of responsible tourism, able therefore to invest in the identity of the places and the territory's products, and thus save its immense heritage of terracing, now endangered.

[3] The five medieval towns along the Ligurian Coast provide scenic views of rugged terrain reeled in with terraced stone walls, where the mountains of 'Appennino Ligure come straight to the sea.

The form and disposition of the towns as they embrace topography embedded in the cliffs are a testament to the long history of settlement and the terraced cultivated lands to the agricultural heritage of the area.

[citation needed] Known for its natural environment and coastal hiking trails, Cinque Terre is a tourist destination that draws people from all over the world, the numbers rising to 3.5- 5 million in the month of August alone.

[6] While there is great concern for the environmental effects of such numbers of visitors, tourism is essential, having long replaced farming and fishing as the area's chief economy.

Recognizing the value of sustainable ecotourism, the goal of World Heritage areas like Cinque Terre National Park is to maintain the ecosystem in a functional state by preserving the fine balance between tourism and agriculture.

The "Uncultivated Lands" LIFE Project, co-founded in 2001 by the European Community and the Cinque Terre National Park, seeks to recover the unused terraces and to return them to their previous success for production of Albarola and Vermentino vineyards.

[13] One such hill, Corniolo, is featured as not only an educational tool for researchers interested in safe and effective cultivating practices, but also as a "laboratory" to bring back the famed grapes that, in combination, shaped Cinque Terre's reputation as wine producers in the Middle Ages.

[14] In addition, the success of "Uncultivated Lands" has been an invaluable model for other areas, such as the UNESCO site of Ifugao, Philippines, who are interested in perfecting and re-establishing thousand-year old cultivation practices within their own communities.

[15] At UNESCO’s meeting on 5 December 1997 the Cinque Terre, Portovenere and the islands of Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto, were added to its World Heritage List under the heading of a cultural landscape.

The site was enrolled under a number of criteria, including: The past three decades have seen a significant growth in tourism, in turn providing new economic opportunities for places like Cinque Terre.

[17] Cinque Terre's popularity can be contributed to the establishment of the park in 1999 and the addition to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, both of which embrace ecotourism and the need for sustainability.

[6] A result of extensive efforts towards infrastructure, improvement of accessibility and sustainable practices, the park has developed the site, and increased its appeal on the global scale.

[18] In fact, locals and park representatives work in tandem to understand and adapt to changing tourist needs while mitigating negative environmental consequences.

[19] As tourism is now so ingrained in the towns, the social benefits of interaction are evident and foster a sense of empowerment and pride that comes with caring for a protected land that millions enjoy.

A direct result of the heavy crowds during the summer months, Cinque Terre trails, spanning almost 19 km (12 mi) are in constant need of supervision, as both soil degradation and human safety are real concerns.

[5] In addition, to counteract the steep topography of the hills, the park relies on hillside trail construction, stone retaining walls and steps to maintain sustainable footpaths.

The Marchio di Qualità Ambientale (Environmental Quality Brand) is a project whose aim is to minimize the impact of man on the environment by promoting sustainable tourism.

[23] In Italy, past practices included deep-net fishing and pollution from cruise ships that dock in areas like Cinque Terre, endangering the habitats of dolphins and other cetaceans that live in its waters.

The steep faces of the cliffs under water and the shallows and isolated rocks are populated by various kinds of gorgonia (sea fans), such as the colorful Leptogorgia sarmentosa and the white Eunicella verrucosa, a rare species in the Mediterranean, but fairly common along this part of the coast.

At a depth of only about 15–20 metres (50–70 ft) at Punta Mesco, unlike the rest of the Mediterranean, it is possible to discover the fans of the Paramuricea clavata or red gorgonia.