Champagne now a world heritage site

France’s wine-making region Champagne and a part of Burgundy have been granted world heritage status by the United Nations, boosting tourism and the economy.

The designation by Unesco, the United Nation’s cultural arm, is accorded to cultural and natural sites deemed significant to world history and can be accompanied by funding for preservation.

Congrats to Côte d'Or & Champagne above/below the ground re new UNESCO heritage status. Much work involved, not least by A de Villaine

— Jancis Robinson (@JancisRobinson) July 5, 2015

France is the world’s most visited country. It had 84m tourists last year. The euro zone’s second-largest economy is looking to tourism, which employs two million people, to kick-start growth.

Last month, the government announced a fund to boost everything from hotels to heritage sites.

At a meeting in Bonn, Germany, Unesco also granted world heritage status to the Diyarbakir Fortress, in Turkey, and two sites in Denmark.

Champagne includes the vineyards of Hautvilliers, Ay and Mareuil-sur-Ay, Saint-Nicaise Hill, in Reims, and the Avenue de Champagne and Fort Chabrol, in Epernay, as well as production sites, underground cellars, and the sales and distribution centres, or champagne houses.