The island of Neuwerk, which is part of the National Park Hamburg Wadden Sea, is the only inhabited area in the Wadden Sea World Heritage site, with only 25 people living there.

The Wadden Sea World Heritage Destination attracts 10 million people, about 50 million overnight stays and 30-40 million day-trippers every year.

Since 1978, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands have been cooperating to ensure transboundary protection and management of the Wadden Sea as a shared natural entity. Almost the entire Wadden Sea is protected by national parks and nature reserves.