Rapa Nui culture and heritage are recognized around the world. The iconic statues – the Moai – are a part of the cultural heritage of humanity. The moai, along with other sacred ceremonial and ancestral sites of the Rapa Nui, have been incorporated into a Chilean national park. The island, marketed by Chile as an international tourist destination, attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year who come to learn about and experience Rapa Nui culture by visiting the park.
Rather than harmonize development with the Native culture, Chilean policies harm the environment and ignore the rights of the Rapa Nui people. Some of the island's archeological sites, which have deep cultural and spiritual significance for the Rapa Nui, have been disrupted to make way for projects such as parking lots and restrooms.