Uluru in Australia has been inundated with tourists hoping to climb the World-Heritage site since quite some time. Social media has been buzzing with pictures and videos of people basking in the Australian sunlight in the backdrop of the sandstone formation. Also known as Ayers Rock, Uluru is the largest rock formation located in the southern part of Northern Territory in central Australia. The rock was discovered by Europeans exploring the centre of Australia in the 1870s. While the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park receives tourists throughout the year, tourist activity at Uluru has increased after an upcoming ban was announced. The decision to ban climbing from October 26, 2019, was announced by the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Board in November 2017. Turquoise Lake in Siberia a Hit Among Instagrammers But Power Plant Says It's Toxic And Dangerous.

The ban is being put into effect as Uluru is sacred ground for the locals. It is a place of spiritual and cultural importance for Australian Aboriginals who arguably say that tourists have destroyed the place for generations.

Anangu people in central Australia giant monolith have been telling visitors about why their land needs to be protected, but it has been falling on deaf ears. One of the signs at the bottom of the trail reads, "This is our home. Please don't climb." And as finally, the ban approaches, the place is being flooded with tourists, much to the annoyance of the locals. And as Uluru plans to shut itself from the outside world, we take a look at the natural beauty. Chernobyl Photo Shoots Are the In Thing According to Instagram Influencers After HBO Show's Popularity; Gets Mocked by Social Media Users.

Breathtaking!

 

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Wheels on 'Explore' Mode!

 

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In the Heartland of Australia!

 

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Tourism Central Australia CEO Stephen Schwer was quoted as saying, "Most of the internationals these days are actually still horrified that the climb is still open; it's domestic travellers who tend to do the climb." The national park receives around 300,000 visitors each year.

Spellbound!

 

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With the ban coming into effect, Ayers Rock Resort is planning some new activities for tourists within the park. However, now tourists continue to climb up the rock.

Gorgeous!

 

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To the Mountains and Beyond!

 

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Australia has more than 500 Aboriginal tribes which are like individual nations with each having its own language and customs. However, they are all united by the ancestral attachment to Mother Earth. According to the Anangu people, those who live around Uluru, the rock is the place from where they cam and where they will return to after death. Because of their staunch belief in this, they do not climb it, but perform rituals and ceremonies. With the ban soon coming into effect, Aboriginals hope that they get the giant red monolith all for themselves.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 21, 2019 12:30 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).