2009 UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE:

Conserving the "Universal Value" of 890 Sites

by Robin Tauck

Conserving the "Universal Value" of 890 Sites

2009 marks an “all time record year” in the conservation of our world’s most important sites – the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. A record 890 sites from 148 countries are now under international protection. And the list is growing! This is a good news story.

Travelers often rate the privilege to visit such sites high on their priorities, and cruises, hotels, tours and adventure companies seek to provide more access, better education, training and proper marketing descriptions, including practices to help sustain such outstanding places for the future.

What many don’t know, however, is how these cultural and natural places of wonder came to be World Heritage Sites, how their protection is overseen and how the benefit or threat of tourism growth will be managed.

Recently, I was honored to attend the 33rd Annual World Heritage Conference in Seville, Spain, courtesy of the World Heritage Centre (Paris). As a career travel professional, I believe in the importance of our World Heritage Sites not only for their inherent value to culture, humanity, and the environment, but also for the key role they play in the ideal of education.

World Heritage Sites benefit from public attendance and inclusive plans for protection. The vast majority of sites, local communities, heritage and national economies benefit greatly from tourism and a future closer relationship. Travel agents and sellers of travel can boost visitation, cooperation and traveler awareness and support. A message that is good for people, good for the sites, and good for business!

From 1999-2009, hundreds of sites and 34 new countries have joined; the three newest countries are Cape Verde, Burkina Faso, and Kyrgyzstan. The diversity of protected sites is a great accomplishment for UNESCO. Still, more is needed. More and more nominations come forth each year (47 sites in 2009) with more complexity and diversity. Safeguarding Intangible Heritage such as traditional dance, language, and song now join historic urban landscapes, and ‘hot spot’ natural biospheres. On average, only a dozen or so sites will achieve the elite WHS status each year due to the rigorous process of assessing the “Outstanding Universal Value” of each contender.

I was engaged with excitement and awe – and can only imagine the travelers who will soon visit such remarkable places; opening new doors to awareness, education and tourism in many new regions.

World Heritage Decisions in 2009

Of 187 member nations, 21 nations rotate on the World Heritage Committee (WHC) and I sat through many long and serious deliberations serving the interests of world citizens. Committee members from Spain, China, Brazil, Egypt, Israel, Peru, Australia, Canada, the United States (and more) evaluated nearly 100 sites through nine full, 14-hour days.

At long last, 13 new sites – 11 cultural and two natural – were inscribed with celebration!  These included the Dolomites of Italy and Wadden Sea (largest intertidal ecosystem) of Germany and the Netherlands. The WHC also added three sites on “Endangered List”. Sadly, one site was removed from the list – The Elbe Valley and City of Dresden – due to the construction of a bridge, an unfortunate yet common example of the modern conflict between conservation and use.

I was most intrigued by updates on the 33 Endangered sites. For example, the Galapagos Islands , lauded for stabilizing cruise and fishing industry threats, continues to suffer from land use and development. Likewise, the Belize Barrier Reef, the largest in the Northern Hemisphere and a WHS since 1996, was declared ‘endangered’ this year from mangrove cutting and development. I have personally sailed amongst both these reefs and collectively we send tens of thousands of travelers. We can inform ourselves and our travelers and this does make a difference.  Finally, the City of Jerusalem remains listed; its many archaeological site restorations are complex with multi-national and religious interests.

Interesting, the United States now has 20 World Heritage Sites and 14 up for consideration. Current sites include Mesa Verde, Yosemite, and Yellowstone National Parks as well as the Statue of Liberty. One important tourism site, Waterton Glacier National Park is the first transborder, Canadian-American site to require a mission in 2009-10 to establish its state of conservation.

I was honored to meet Stephen Morris, Chief of International Affairs of our National Parks Service, who has led the U.S. delegation for 4 years. He believes the cooperation among nations is truly phenomenal and a noble cause. He emphasizes the need to match growth with conservation. “As we near 1,000 sites, it is imperative that we balance new nominations with greater efforts to take care of current sites. The travel industry has much to offer us, including new focus on service with the local communities.”

During the conference I had the opportunity to meet Stephen Morris, chief of international affairs for our National Park Service. Morris, who has led the U.S. team at the conference for four years, believes the cooperation among nations to name World Heritage Sites is a truly phenomenal accomplishment, as well as a noble cause. “As we near 1,000 sites, it is imperative that we balance new nominations with greater efforts to take care of current sites,” he told me. “The travel industry has much to offer us, especially with service initiatives with and for local communities.”

World Heritage Challenges for 2012

The leaders drove home a number of ‘focal points’ for the next 3-5 years. Climate Change and its impact on natural sites and biospheres was at the top of the list. Balancing the global spread of World Heritage Sites (develop underrepresented areas such as Africa). And, impending population growth and human intervention (via development or tourism, for example). In response to the latter, UNESCO emphasized its ‘Sustainable Tourism Programme.’ and engaging with the travel industry worldwide.

In 2012, UNESCO will mark the 40th Anniversary; to celebrate so many accomplishments and commit action plans and public/private partnerships to keep the great work going…and to reposition the Convention for the future.

Tourism is an Opportunity for World Heritage

We are at a critical juncture in history. New tools, criteria and monitoring systems will protect sites and build community efforts in the ‘buffer zones’. There is a new calling for alliances between government and sustainable business to assist UNESCO in realizing its 2012 goals.

The WTO has joined forces to raise awareness of tourism’s ‘global impact’ and to spread the good word of “Opportunity.” Our industry can pledge some time, interest and resources beyond the woes of the current recession. For, protecting world heritage is an investment few can afford to overlook. To protect our past is to ensure our future.

Ways to Learn More

To learn more, The World Heritage Alliance of the UN Foundation’s Sustainable Tourism Programme is a great source. Members contribute to WHS with the belief that responsible tourism (corporations or travelers) can greatly contribute to global World Heritage conservation, historic preservation, and poverty reduction. A small donation or corporate membership is a big help. An annual conference occurs in October

Major universities such as UC Berkeley, NYU, Princeton, Oxford, Cambridge, and Leeds Univ. – offer MBA and/or executive education courses focused on Sustainable Business, Global Policy, and Cultural Tourism that teach the leaders of today and tomorrow how to guarantee and invest in cultural and natural heritage. I have attended the Cambridge 4-day program, it is highly recommended for travel leaders.

For more information, see www.unesco.org, www.iucn.org, www.icomos.org, and, for how you can help: www.worldheritagealliance.org. www.friendsofworldheritage.org.