The very term “Heritage” suggests that something of value has been transmitted through generations up to ours, and that such generations were and are able to access it as its heirs. In the case of World Heritage Sites, we need to balance and orchestrate preservation: the current generation should be able to visit and somehow enjoy heritage in a way that will allow future generations to benefit from and have access to it. Sustainability is a major part of the solution.
Since its establishment in 2002, the international UNESCO UNITWIN Network “Culture, Tourism, Development” has been working with its members – highly profiled researchers and professors – towards the goal of how tourism can coexist with, protect and sustainably enhance the outstanding value of the heritage belonging to all of humanity. It wants to share its knowledge in a spirit of solidarity among universities, decision makers, non-governmental organizations, civil society and the private sector.
For 2021, the MOOC series “Tourism Management at UNESCO World Heritage Sites” is releasing its third volume, providing new insights and numerous case studies from all around the world in all of its six chapters.
