I’ve recently returned from a fascinating 10-day research trip to Cuba. I went there to write a case study for a project I’m involved in whose goal is to advise tourism planners about balancing the needs of historic preservation with those of tourism development. Our small team visited five out of Cuba’s nine World Heritage sites, focusing on the five that are cultural heritage sites in urban settings.

We came away realizing that there is a real need in Cuba to develop a comprehensive tourism management plan for cultural tourism. Having banned tourism after experiencing the negative consequences of prostitution and gambling during the period leading up to the revolution (the reaction to which, in fact, contributed to the success of the revolution), Cuba re-introduced tourism in 1993 following the collapse of the Soviet-led trading block, upon which its economy had become dependent. The plan began with beach tourism, developing the Varadero Beach area to meet international standards.

But it seemed to us that, thus far, Cuba has done little to develop the required infrastructure to promote cultural and natural heritage tourism. We started and finished in Havana, focusing on Old Havana. In between, our group of four researchers traveled in a van with a driver and guide to visit World Heritage sites in Cienfuegos, Trinidad, Camaguey, and Santiago de Cuba.

Cienfuegos’ old town features a cluster of historic buildings around a main square, established originally by French settlers from France and New Orleans, who successfully appealed to the Spanish crown for rights to establish the city. The architecture is a blend of French and Spanish, making for a unique heritage site. Nearby Trinidad is heavily influenced by Afro-Cuban heritage, with a look all its own; a delightful place to visit.

Camaguey is a large city, but the historic center is intriguing for its odd street patterns and five historic squares. Santiago de Cuba, the second largest city in Cuba and a cultural center, is a vibrant Caribbean city. We timed our visit to experience a portion of its annual Fiesta del Fuego, a five-day festival that celebrates Caribbean culture. Note on a map how close Santiago de Cuba is to Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and other diverse Caribbean cultures, and you’ll appreciate how culturally distinct it is from Havana.

Cuba contains rich cultural heritage, it has a strong appreciation for its heritage, and there are many layers of heritage protection. But much of the tangible heritage is threatened by a lack of effective preservation and restoration resources. Much restoration is underway (we saw many successes!) but the extent of its restoration needs far outpaces its available resources.

In addition, the US trade embargo creates unique circumstances for Cuban preservation and tourism management. When the embargo eventually ends, either through the gradual dismantling of its many legal layers, or suddenly, the world’s second largest outbound tourist source market (and close neighbor to Cuba) will dramatically change the game for both preservation and tourism. For Cuba to retain its unique character, this must be managed and planned for.

One hopes that Cuban tourism planners are sufficiently aware of a) the opportunity their cultural and natural heritage sites offer and b) the difficult challenges the country will face as it works to preserve them. American travelers and travel professionals would do well to consider history and current realities in the country as they plan for the eventual opening up of this great destination to the US travel market.

The International Cultural Tourism (ICTC) of ICOMOS just welcomed me to their ranks. ICOMOS is the International Council on Monuments and Sites, the official advisory body to UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre on matters pertaining to cultural heritage. The ICTC committee supports ICOMOS’ mission by supplying it with expertise on tourism to cultural heritage sites.

We combined our annual meeting with a few days of learning about the World Heritage site of the Douro Valley of Portugal while traveling through it. We met with local tourism and governmental development agencies, and at the end of our time provided our recommendations for sustainable tourism development in the region.

The annual meeting and all the informal meetings of the committee were excellent. This is a passionate group of experts, committed to heritage preservation who also understand the inevitability of tourism to heritage destinations and are engaged in the process of balancing the needs of the two. The committee is truly international. Many are heritage architects, others are government planners and regulators of heritage protection of buildings and sites. All are very talented and intelligent.

As a committee, we’re in the process of writing a handbook on communicating heritage to the tourism industry, commissioned by the UNWTO. I’m one of the many who is submitting content for the handbook, which will likely be published late this year.

The meeting’s setting in the Douro Valley was delightful. I was somewhat knowledgeable of it from my days of selling the riverboat experience there with INTRAV, and enjoyed seeing it in person for the first time. The landscape is wonderful; vineyards on steep slopes, heavily terraced, with very limited numbers of visitors. A great place to taste wine and the famous port wine of the region, and to walk and bicycle in a beautiful setting. It struck us all as Provence or Tuscany before discovery.

For the first time ever, the World Bank in Washington DC hosted the annual US/ICOMOS meeting– showcasing the importance of global preservation to our nation’s people and capitol.

Randy and I were honored to be asked to speak on the “Power of Travel,” a major message for economic development in emerging nations and for public/private partnerships  … a keynote of the three-day Conference.  Over 150 people attended; World Bank representatives from major areas came to “listen and learn” — all recognize Cultural Heritage is growing. It was fascinating– held in the huge board room with over 60% attendees from abroad.  Our nation even hosted the World Bank –IMF Chorus in the atrium lobby.

ICOMOS is the International Council on Monuments and Sites, an important advisory body to UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre for all World Heritage Sites.  (Its counterpart in natural heritage is IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature).

The US Chapter of ICOMOS, based in Washington, DC is considered one of the largest chapters; with representation from  major academia, archaeologists, politicians, preservationists, trusts and foundations, National Park Service, World Monuments Fund and  more. Tourism is recognized as a major contributor; and it is felt — visitation can increase preservation. We were impressed with the caliber of people and their dedication.

The new President of ICOMOS International is an American for the first time: Mr. Gustavo Aroaz, who participated at the event.  Prior to the “Power of Travel” initial speakers included Mr. Francesco Bandarin, newly appointed Assistant Director General for Culture at UNESCO and long-time Director of the World Heritage Centre; in UNESCO’s Paris headquarters.

The World Bank currently has 217 major projects in emerging nations, and for the first time over 50% of these are based on cultural heritage; and tied directly with heritage preservation, job opportunities and development and self esteem for local people in poorer areas.  We heard both positive and alarming case Studies from China, Southeast Asia, Africa, Iraq and Afghanistan and even major World Heritage Cities such as Venice, Guanajuato, Jerusalem and more.  One key message:  After the coveted World Heritage Inscription Status – it takes an average of 8 years to receive “net income” from the investment generally via tourism.  In many cases, direct involvement with public/private partnerships, professional site management and growing awareness, is a positive force for social change!   It was exciting to hear so many first-time reports.

US/ ICOMOS is a proactive organization focused on the innovative solutions and change. New partnerships are so potential with the travel industry and major funding banks of the World.

For more information and details on membership to this truly exceptional organization, please visit http://www.usicomos.org

PATA’s Sustainable Tourism Committee’s most recent meeting took place April 25th during the conference in Kuching, Malaysia that included the organization’s annual meeting. The Malaysian state of Sarawak on Borneo hosted the event at their new and very sophisticated convention center.

The committee is small but passionate and engaged, and the leadership of the important 59-year old trade group is serious about supporting sustainable tourism development and initiatives. The conference itself involved walking the talk in an environmentally-friendly manner, avoiding single-use plastic water bottles and other appropriate actions.

The committee reported on and discussed a range of worthwhile topics: PATA’s engagement with EC3 for carbon management tools and educational opportunities for PATA members; planning for an indigenous peoples’ tourism conference in Darwin, Australia late in 2011; the Dutch development group SNV’s report on responsible tourism market research; the creation of the International School of Ecotourism at Subic Bay in the Philippines; the MOU that PATA has signed with CED, the Centre for Excellence in Destinations; and the outreach activity underway within PATA toward its youth members and potential members. The committee expressed openness to my suggestion of possible involvement in the Pacific Ocean plastic clean-up work that is needed, highlighted by the research that our friend Mary Crowley and her team at Project Kaisei is showing to the world.

Impressed with the commitment and sincerity of the committee, I was compelled to offer our support and I was admitted as a member of the committee. Robin and I look forward to supporting the research and activities of the committee and the entire organization. We’d love to hear your thoughts including any suggestions and questions.

Now is such an opportunistic time in history to “make a difference” by joining together in key environmental actions. Why wait? I have learned from the Marriott Corporation and am personally glad to help a major environmental project – the Juma Amazonas Brazilian Reserve; one of 14 huge reserves in the Amazon. The plan is surely a “wow.”

It all began back in 2008, when Marriott went forth in protecting 1.4 million acres of arguably the world’s most important rainforest. I learned of the plan from Bill Marriott himself at WTTC Dubai and Brazil. They have 3,500 hotels globally and have a multitude of internal and external efforts to address environmental and social impacts.

Interesting. My husband and I have a foundation, focused on sustainable land use and US/International relations. We saw Juma as a perfect platform for aligning USA local-global efforts and for others to strengthen Marriott’s efforts. Indeed it was possible.

The TRIP Foundation – Juma Learning Center now teaches sustainable agriculture IPA principles within 30 remote communities and will conclude its work in 2010. Who would have thought our decision to engage could actually help avoid deforestation, reduce greenhouse gases, and help 400 families learn new ways of rainforest farming, well over 2,400 miles away?

The Juma Reserve is the first in Brazil to receive REDD designation (Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation) and has Gold status under the Climate Community and Biodiversity Alliance (CCBA). It is designated to have approved carbon offsets credited by the VCS by year-end 2010. My view, it is a leading example of real protection.

Real partnerships protect places. Our kudos to Arne Sorenson and Mari Snyder of Marriott – for their belief in partnerships protecting places and their ability to move “talk” into “action.” Their infrastructure made an ideal setting for needed education.

Real protection also involves… governmental and scientific analysis, trusted partner(s), long-term outlook and action, social responsibility ethics, solid international relations, and “belief” that we can do it. Together, we can make a difference.

To conclude – as a developed nation, do we have the “right ingredients” to enact global change? How can we leverage action to help emerging and developing countries?

A growing trend in travel is what we call “Travelers Philanthropy” whereby tour operators and other travel providers make it easy for their customers, their employees, and their company’s “giving back” team to support worthy causes.

Web tools describe carefully screened causes, ranging from supporting elephant orphanages to rain-forest protection to child education and welfare. Those wishing to contribute can pay online – either before, during, or after their travel experience.

This “opt-in” method of giving is great for all involved.

Some travel providers have created their own programs, while others simply direct their clients to trusted non-profit groups who do all the heavy lifting. Our favorite is STI – Sustainable Travel International, a global leader in providing resources to help travel companies and their clients be “greener” and in tune with the needs of community members at the destinations we travelers visit.

Should tour operators promote their good deeds? I say yes!! While we all hope that motivations are altruistically driven, first and foremost, there’s nothing wrong with communicating your actions and intentions to your past and potential customers—and there are plenty of good reasons to do so. You benefit by promoting positive attributes of your company. You inspire others – both travel professionals and travelers themselves – to do good. And don’t overlook the fact that some of your competitors are getting the marketing benefit you may deserve as much or more than they.

UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre is embarking on a new approach to destination management.  Rather than managing each heritage site in isolation, they are now coordinating the planning for multiple sites within a given region to gain a holistic tourism management plan.  The goal is to ensure more balanced visitation patterns, better protection of sites,  and the opening of new and authentic, heritage-based activities.

I’ve just returned from the Quang Nam Province of Vietnam, where I was invited by the World Heritage Centre to join a workshop arranged to launch a year of planning for three key sites.  The project showcases this new and unique approach: Site managers at the neighboring World Heritage sites of Hoi An and My Son (both UNESCO 1999) and the biosphere region of the Cham Islands (1999) will update their management plans jointly and include ways to integrate the tourist experience among the three.  The provincial government and UNESCO endorse and support the approach. PATA is involved, bringing together experiences from public/private trusted sources.

It’s a fascinating concept, as the three sites are quite distinct.  The ancient town of Hoi An is heavily visited, included in tourism itineraries by many visitors as well as cruise and tour companies.   It’s a town that conjured for me Brugge and Rothenburg in Europe – exquisitely real, passed up by the Industrial Revolution, and full  of historic architecture.  My Son, an archaeological site quietly nestled between mountains, was the spiritual capital of the Cham Empire, a Hindu culture that was a centuries-long powerhouse in the region until overtaken by Vietnamese culture.  During the “American War” as it is known there, the North Vietnamese Army brought the fight to this otherwise peaceful enclave, compelling American forces to bomb it, seriously damaging much of it in 1969.  Still, there is much to see, and much to ponder (even here, the Vietnamese hosts manage to make American visitors shockingly at ease about the events of forty years ago).   Then there are the Cham Islands just off the coast, places of solitude, little human activity, no motor vehicles, and precious coral formations.

The UNESCO workshop was inspirational.  Many plans and new ideas for joint cooperation among the site managers and provincial authorities can support small-scale infrastructure development for new authentic attractions between Hoi An and My Son.  It is an excellent example of public/private partnerships and I expect to return twice this year as an advisor from the private sector of tourism.

Does it seem that the number of unique and authentic places to visit in the world is shrinking? The standardization of destinations caused by globalization certainly contributes to that, as does your own increasing number of checkmarks on your life travel list. But, consider this: proper conservation efforts continue to open up new sites to tourists and expand offerings within existing sites.

In Tikal, the great Mayan city in present-day Guatemala, only a few of the finest sites have been excavated. In Mesa Verde National Park scrub-clearing wildfires earlier this decade unearthed scores of previously unknown archeological ruins. In the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang on the Silk Road in China, where I recently visited, visitors take in only a few of 100 sites that are open to the public, and hundreds remain unopened. When visiting the Valleys of Kings, Queens, and Nobles in Egypt, the most avid visitor only has the energy and time to see a half dozen of the scores of thrilling tombs per day’s visit, so return visits are needed, and more sites are discovered every few years.

The World Heritage site of Umm Ar-Rasas in Jordan contains some of the best-preserved ancient Roman mosaics anywhere, but the site is virtually unknown, which should change as a lifetime of forthcoming excavation will spur promotion. Then there are previously war-torn countries that eventually settle down, such as Nicaragua with its stunning Spanish colonial architecture in Granada.

In all these places and countless others, new tourist delights are and will be “discovered” and made available for public enjoyment and education.

The imperatives of conservation can limit tourist access when the money isn’t there to both preserve and show. But when tourists and their travel providers visit “responsibly” and offer financial and other support to conservation, then conservation stewards are motivated and able to open up more sites for tourist access. Funding comes from the visitation, and from government planners expecting increased visitation and tax revenues.

Conversely, tourism that tramples heritage sites without conserving them reduces inventory of available and appealing places to visit.

There’s plenty more for tourists and tourism professionals to explore and to offer; but we travelers and travel providers will only have access to it if we actively support conservation and preservation.

What an honor…to be at the Copenhagen Climate Summit on behalf of the tour and travel industry! Tour & Travel is the largest industry in the world and was a late approval for a “special side event” with presentations and press at the Bella Center on December 18th.

About 50 leaders from travel arrived for presentations via WTTC and WTO -World Tourism Organization and included some major airlines, global hotel chains, ministers of major tourism destinations and more. There was a serious and evident show of strategic, professional climate crisis plans, investments, cooperation and urgency.

Travel and tourism accounts for 5% of global emissions; and is a visible, responsible, and ethical industry. Amongst 40 other travel professionals, I had helped draft, circulate and adopt the WTTC 2020 Climate Plan, for about 18 months which was ultimately launched industry-wide in mid 2009.

Several of us arrived in snow and blustery weather of December 17 from London. The airport grounds were just incredible – with over 100 government and military presidential planes parked in every corner – hard to describe! I truly felt the sheer significance of this historical gathering…. from a small window upon my very first touch-down.

The Bella Center is located far outside the city center, and hotels were fully booked, and fully barricaded. Just imagine, every world leader being in the same city. Many delegates stayed outside Copenhagen, some in Sweden. Military tents were used for passport and registration clearance, with long lines and snowy conditions. Over 45,000 were registered. Press articles described the event as somewhat unwieldy for the Danes, not surprising, and described the outdoor registrees as “Emperor Penguins” in a wintry landscape. I felt an overwhelming sense of global enthusiasm and hope for what the next day might bring; and saw no signs of protesters or disturbances in our brief time.

Decision Day – December 18

December 18th…was decision day (conference started on December 7th). President Obama and the US delegation had just arrived and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made front page news on December 17 with US pledge of $100 billion annually by 2020 (and 17% reductions on 2005 levels by 2020) contingent upon transparency and public, private and multilateral funding. The arrival of the United States top brass…created more security, more buzz; optimism and enthusiasm. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger had earlier delivered a compelling outcry for local and regional efforts – to a sold-out crowd. Gore advocated for an interim Agreement meeting in July in Mexico vs. year end. And the G77 (developing nations) delivered concurrent strong requests to China and the USA. No question, the place was emotionally charged.

As we came, thousands of negotiators hunkered down with legal teams, and the Danes decided suddenly, to relocate all “side events” to prioritize governmental work. We moved to the Marriott – where all convention space was booked for key industry presentations, and ours went very well and on time.

As the press concluded Q&A sessions, and skies grew dark by 4pm, word spread that global leaders — UK, USA, China and more…would stay through the night and as long as it would take, to come to a resolve. At the airport, we met legal teams from developed nations, those rewriting Climate Law and heard of their experiences in Copenhagen. It was an incredible time of sharing and caring.

For us, despite differing messages, I can proudly say that global leaders of diverse sectors of travel were speaking with “one voice” about our common goal – to protect our planet, to support our leaders and to comply with the urgency to reduce emissions, create innovative solutions and to work together on advocacy, education and cooperation.

Positive News: The economic advantages of travel and tourism were stated as measurably contributing to unprecedented positive levels of 2015 UN Millennium Goals: eradicating poverty and providing economic development and gender equality to women. According to WTO, 50 of the least developed countries now attribute “travel and tourism” as providing their #1 or #2 source of foreign income, more than ever before in the history of the world. New ways to travel lighter, smarter and more efficiently are well underway.

We are all at a key juncture. Copenhagen was significant yet …the real work is ahead and we can all contribute. I flew home to the USA with a sincere vow to continue the journey and with even higher understanding of the need for public/private partnerships. As a New Year rings in….

One never forgets their first visit to Petra. The Nabatean Archaeological Wonder is located in Southern Jordan amidst vast deserts and is considered one of the iconic World Heritage Sites. It is a must-see on every travelers list to the Middle East.

I have been fortunate to see Petra over ten times – and each visit is awesome and unique-for the season and the environment are in constant change, with new discoveries still unfolding.

My first visits were in the 1990’s while setting up Tauck’s tours – taking in the sights on foot and by camel, and returning often in horse-drawn carriages. Not much change in that regard. What has changed, today, is the enormous barrage of foot and animal traffic now in Petra. Where once only a few hundred visitors walked in awe, today there are often over 3,000 visitors a day. The issue is getting worse.

The nearby city of Aqaba with its elegant resorts and cruise terminals has expansive developments that will soon be open in 2011 adding over 2,000 rooms and some 6,000 people and employees…as future day-trippers to Petra and Wadi Rum.

Petra is a World Heritage site with a carrying capacity of maximum 2,500 people. Surely the current situation is no model for Sustainable Tourism. Urgent action is needed.

In October 2009, the Jordanian Government assigned a new Chief Commissioner to oversee the Petra Regional Authority, a move that will vastly increase public-private partnerships and actions to protect Petra. We met with the Chief Commissioner and his Commissioner of the Environment and Local Communities, where we learned even more how tourism companies and travelers can help.

In addition, non-profits such as Petra National Trust have worked hard to protect the site with special project management. And USAID and its local Siyaha group are actively involved. We were pleased to be hosted by Dr. Joe Ruddy, Ibrahim Ostas and Ali Goussous of Siyaha. Robin Tauck & Partners in lending our active participation and support through a host of initiatives here that may well become models for the broader Middle East Region.