Why Australia's Uluru Will Soon be Off Limits

Climbing Australia's renowned Uluru will be banned come October 2019.

According to CNN, the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Board voted unanimously Wednesday to end the polarizing debate and issue a blanket ban on climbing the UNESCO World Heritage Site in two years' time.

The 1,100-plus-foot sandstone monolith, also known as Ayers Rock, is sacred to Aboriginal Australians and the Anangu owners, who comprise eight board members.

The date the ban goes into effect, October 26, 2019, is notable as it represents the 34th anniversary of Uluru being returned to its traditional owners.

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"It is an extremely important place, not a playground or theme park like Disneyland. We've been thinking about this for a very long time," said the board's chairman, Sammy Wilson, while announcing the decision.

"We are not stopping tourism, just this activity."

While the decision is sure to upset some, the popularity of climbing Uluru has dropped off considerably in recent years and tourism officials believe the attraction has more to offer.

"It's always been the wishes of the traditional owners that visitors to the park don't climb to the top of Uluru, and I think that's something both domestic and international tourists will understand and respect," Tourism Australia's managing director, John O'Sullivan told CNN.

"The industry is being given plenty of notice and I certainly don't think the decision will in any way impact people's overall enjoyment of this important sacred site and iconic visitor attraction."

#Uluru climb to close from 2019. Fantastic news, the wishes of TOs finally respected. You don’t need to climb it to appreciate the beauty. pic.twitter.com/f0dYBPRiJB

— Anthony Stewart (@anthonystewart) November 1, 2017

Uluru attracted 300,000 visitors to Australia's Northern Territory in 2015.

Data from the national park shows that fewer than two out of 10 visitors to Uluru come with the intention of climbing it. The 16.2 percent figure in 2015 signals a dramatic dropoff from 74 percent in the 1990s.

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Thirty-six people have died climbing the landmark since 1958, with the most recent death coming in 2010.

Fortunately for future visitors, there are still plenty of fun ways to explore Uluru.

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