UNESCO leaves Great Barrier Reef off 'in danger' list

FILE PHOTO - Peter Gash, owner and manager of the Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort, snorkels in an area called the 'Coral Gardens' at Lady Elliot Island, located north-east from the town of Bundaberg in Queensland, Australia, June 11, 2015. REUTERS/David Gray/File photo

SYDNEY (Reuters) - The United Nations cultural body UNESCO has voted to leave the Great Barrier Reef off its "in danger" list despite recent widespread destruction of the World Heritage Site.

The decision, which was taken at a UNESCO committee meeting in the Polish city of Krakow, allows Australia's conservative government to dodge political embarrassment and potential damage to the country's lucrative tourism industry,