If the designated location is put at serious risk or is seriously damaged, the crown will be removed from its head. By the end of 2001, 31 locations had been placed on a "List of World Heritage Sites in Danger" as a result of a change in their legal status, lack of maintenance, geological or climate change, or threats brought about by regional planning or war.
許多國家將老祖宗留下來的世界遺產當成吸引觀光客的搖錢樹，例如世界遺產中國大陸雲南的麗江古城，古老的聚落街道上，餐廳、商店林立，入夜之後依然恍如白晝一般熱鬧。然而，世界遺產的寶座並不是永遠的，一旦指定地遭到嚴重的危險或破壞，頭上的皇冠也會被摘除。