As announced in today's blog post, you can now put forward WHS that you think comply with the WHS Visitor Commandments.

The process is as follows:
· To earn THE badge, a site should comply with commandments 1-7, and score decent on 8-10 as well. A rating system 1-10 for all WHS would be too cumbersome I think, as the evaluation will be quite subjective anyway and we want to put the focus on the stellar sites from a visitor perspective. Also, many sites don't have full data or aren't visited that often.
· I think you're best qualified to propose a site for a badge if you have (recently) visited it. So you can propose only such sites. And you must be clear in your explanations. Be an advocate for the site.
· The other community members are the judges. They can ask critical questions about the proposal. At least one supporter that has also visited the site is needed to award the badge.

Use this topic to add and discuss the candidates.

I am starting with Gunung Mulu:

Here is how it scores on the commandments:
1. You show your OUV! – Open every day, all day.
2. Thou shalt be ready to receive visitors after becoming a WHS – Well-kept and I experienced no closures of 'attractions' when I visited.
3. You are clear about your core zone – the whs is the same as the national park, and there is an official map provided
4. You shall have a proper UNESCO plaque - Very nice one at the park entrance, with miniature rocks and plants.
5. Thou shalt practice fair pricing – Foreigners pay an entrance fee of 30 RM (6 EUR) versus 15 RM for locals, but guided tours which take up most of the cost are the same for everyone. All are reasonably priced.
6. You shall create and maintain an official website – Very clear website and I got a quick response when trying to book accommodation in the park.
7. Thou shalt not unduly limit or charge fees for personal photography - No limits.
8: You shall spend some money on proper paper tickets – You get a wristband for the length of your stay, which gets sweaty. So not really a souvenir to keep.
9: Thou shall provide translations – English is the main and only(?) language of conduct.
10: Thou shalt not force visitors into packages or tours – Although the main attractions need a tour, this is also logical considering the terrain. They proved also very flexible about adding a tour or joining one last minute. But you can do some trails on your own and the Exodus of the Bats is accessible without the need for a tour and you can go as many times as you like.

Bonus points: the well-trained guides (safety conscious and 'fun' in a way that fits their personalities) and convivial atmosphere when you stay inside the park for several days.

So, overall, I think it is a worthy candidate. Other reviewers also have rated the visitor conditions positively. Only #8 could be improved, but this is I find compensated by the bonus points.

Love it, great work! This may become a very, very long thread if we're going through the entire list though...

As I visited it immediately after it was inscribed and then again a few months ago, let me have a crack at https://www.worldheritagesite.org/list/Pontcysyllte+Aqueduct+and+Canal+

1. You show your OUV! – Open every day, all day.
2. Thou shalt be ready to receive visitors after becoming a WHS – the small visitor centre was still, just about, a work in progress upon inscription - but we are talking a number of weeks. There were already tourist information posts scattered around.
3. You are clear about your core zone – cannot fault this! Walking in from England in March there is even a plaque set into the towpath at the precise spot the core zone starts 😀
4. You shall have a proper UNESCO plaque - see above, plus proper plaque at Trevor
5. Thou shalt practice fair pricing – free entrance for everyone
6. You shall create and maintain an official website – tick.
7. Thou shalt not unduly limit or charge fees for personal photography - tick
8: You shall spend some money on proper paper tickets – No. Because entrance is free.
9: Thou shall provide translations – Everything is in English (and Welsh)
10: Thou shalt not force visitors into packages or tours – No. Obviously there's a cost if you want to take a boat tour across the aqueduct but not compulsory. And if you have your own narrowboat / canoe it's free to cross as well.

So a strong 9/10!

In comparison https://www.worldheritagesite.org/list/Painted+Churches+in+the+Tro%C3%B6dos+Region falls down on criteria 1 (erratic opening hours / having to find the specific key-holder to permit access at some sites) and 6 (no official unified website that I can find). Some churches ask for no photography inside but I think that is appropriate as we are talking about delicate frescoes and holy places. Plaques at each location, good signage and free entry are all plus points however. 7/10 in my view but falling short particularly on criterion 1.

IMO this is such a no no that it should remove any possibility of getting the badge. you do state "To earn THE badge, a site should comply with commandments 1-7," -

Although I agree that the foreigner pricing is unnecessary in a country like Malaysia, the overall cost of entrance is very low for a park like this (6 EUR valid for multiple days). The guided walks/cave tours cost 6 - 44 EUR (depending on length and difficulty) and are the same for everyone.

Wonder what others who visited it think of the pricing.

Ok.. Then make the requirement a "decent score" on 5 as well.

As proposed in the blog post, we will only introduce the stellar sites (sites that are far from complying are not discussed).

My initial reaction was "no wonder it scores so well as it is such a 'simple' site" -> but it is an achievement in itself that they kept it non-complex, with the clear core zone and the free entrance and limited commercial exploitation. So I would second this proposal, although my visit was so long ago that I do not remember much. Maybe someone else can share the general feel on visitor friendliness from a recent visit.

This is where the United States National Park system does well, in my opinion. The National Park Service maintains a website for each park with clear maps of the bounds of the national parks (example), which are submitted to (UNESCO). They are open year round, with options for individual hiking trails or guided tours, and there is no difference in fees for Americans or foreigners. The only commandment they may not fulfill is number 8, since there are no official tickets for the parks. There are pretty spiffy complimentary park brochures at each site, however.

Here are several sites that I have visited in the last ten to fifteen years that come to mind:

Carlsbad Caverns National Park: 1, 2, 3, 4 (in the visitor center lobby), 5, 6, 7, 9, and 10
Great Smoky Mountains National Park: 1, 2, 3, 4 (on the wall next to the sidewalk on the south side of the Newfound Gap parking area), 5, 6, 7, 9, and 10
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park: 1, 2, 3, 4 (located outside the Kilauea Visitor Center), 5, 6, 7, 9, and 10
Mammoth Cave National Park: 1, 2, 3, 4 (in the visitor center lobby), 5, 6, 7, 9, and 10
Mesa Verde National Park: 1, 2, 3, 4 (located on the wall outside the Chapin Mesa Archaeological Museum at the Spruce Tree Terrace), 5, 6, 7, 9, and 10
Yellowstone National Park: 1, 2, 3, 4 (located on the basement floor of the museum at the Albright Visitor Center at Mammoth Hot Springs; could it be more prominent? Probably), 5, 6, 7, 9, and 10
Yosemite National Park: 1, 2, 3, 4 (located outside the Yosemite Valley Vistor Center), 5, 6, 7, 9, and 10

I generally agree with you, but - after having just refreshed all site intros and re-reading all the US reviews - I have a few critical remarks.
Regarding #1: the government shutdowns have had a negative impact, as they lasted so long and disturbed the holiday plans of many travellers (Kyle wrote some reviews about them).
Regarding #10: guided tours are almost unavoidable for Carlsbad, Mammoth Cave, Mesa Verde, and they are conducted (at least when I visited, some 15 years ago) in a typical NPS 'boy scout leader' way that isn't for everyone. I think they could diversify more (maybe they have since?)

Well, government shutdowns are an unfortunate occasional occurrence, but they are more the exception than the rule. If that is what keeps US sites from getting this badge, I would be disappointed because I believe the National Park Service offers a high quality visitor experience.

As for guided tours, I believe Carlsbad has a self-guided tour (which currently requires times entry reservations during the busy summer season), but I think Mammoth Cave requires visitors to take a guided tour for the caverns. However, as noted in the introductory section you updated, Mammoth Cave also has above ground karsts that don't require tours. As for Mesa Verde, popular sections require a tour, but there are many components with the park that tourists can hike to without a tour.

I did not mean to go that far (and it is not only for me to decide anyway), but I think it should be mentioned as a general remark. Wiki says there have been 3 of them in the past 10 years that led to multi-day closures.

It is true and unfortunate that we have had more government shutdowns than usual in the past decade — all clearly avoidable save for obstructionist politicians. And I wonder myself how the budget cycle will play out this year. I would be interested to hear what other visitors think of the impact that has had on these sites.

Carlsbad also has the "issue" that The Lechuguilla Cave – reportedly the most spectacular and prominent part of the OUV – has always been closed to the general public.

Neither of these should be included.

Mammoth Cave National Park - NO: Reserved Tours generally cost between $19 and $35 per tour for most sites related to OUV (have to be pre-booked on recreation.gov) *tours are hokey and mildly interesting, mostly geared toward children
Mesa Verde National Park - NO: On top of the $20-$30 day use vehicle cost (seasonal) Reserved Tours are $8 each per tour for most sites related to OUV (have to be pre-booked on recreation.gov)
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park - NO: The National Park boundary is very different than the World Heritage boundary (the park expanded and now has additional units, there has been no boundary modification with UNESCO

I don't even want to speak about Carlsbad Caverns National Park. NO

I do agree that US National Park brochures are great souvenirs (alternatives to a traditional ticket stub), which include maps, a sites cultural or natural values, and they are free, which in many other world heritage sites, would likely be similar quality to a brochure or booklet that you might have to purchase.

San Antonio Missions meet all requirements very well. The UNESCO plaque and world heritage status is featured prominently, celebrated even. They do a world heritage festival every year! The whole park is free. The Alamo requires a "free timed entry ticket" via a different format as its not managed by the National Park Service.

Poverty Point meets all requirements very well. The UNESCO plaque and world heritage status is featured prominently just before entering the visitor center. The National Monument charges $4. Free tours/demonstrations are given and they are quite good, at least in my experience.

Another recommendation I would suggest instead of the traditional National Parks is Chaco Culture. You can visit everything self-guided, no tours are required, the maps are really useful, and UNESCO signs are featured prominently. In fact, at the Aztec National Monument unit, the UNESCO symbol is featured prominently at the entrance sign, which is rare and perhaps the only US site that does this.

Most WHS in the Southwest do have Spanish translations and sometimes Native languages as well, but not universally.