Tourism sector
- contributing local resilience & sustainability
The tourism sector, employing people across visitor services such as accommodation, food and beverage, transportation and attractions, has contributed towards the economic development in many communities hosting World Heritage. Where intentionally managed, tourism has been made to benefit protection of World Heritage.
Commercialization of natural and cultural heritage has enabled the tourism to grow into one of the worlds largest economic sectors. This growth has many places come at the cost of maintaining less profitable, often traditional, economic activities. Increasing dependency on tourism generated revenues and outsourced tourism services has weakened the social and economic fabric and hence community resilience and sustainability.
Responsibilities of the tourism sector in relation to World Heritage and tourism includes to:
- work with World Heritage property managers to help protect the heritage values (OUV)
- recognize and engage in shared responsibility to sustain World Heritage properties as tourism resources
- work on authentic presentation and quality experiences.
Cnf. Policy guidelines defining the relationship between World Heritage and sustainable tourism (2010)
World Heritage Catalysis seeks to be a platform where World Heritage stakeholders, including the tourism sector stakeholders can come together in the shared intention to strengthen resilience, adaptive and transformative capacities.
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