Online, August 2 and 3, 2021

BACKGROUND

The Outstanding Universal Value of each site inscribed on the World Heritage List, in accordance with the 1972 Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted by UNESCO, is a source of visibility and attraction for millions of people in all countries.

Travel to the sites where these cultural, natural, and mixed properties are located has generated consequences ranging from the recognition of remarkable expressions of human creation and nature, fostering understanding among peoples, and generating economic activity and employment, to the excessive burden of visitors on certain sites, threats to the state of conservation of the properties, and the unequal distribution of the cultural, economic, and social benefits derived from this type of heritage.

We must add to this panorama the radical change the world has undergone since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in the first months of 2020. The relationship between society and nature has taken on a new dimension, calling upon us to strengthen the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals through socially just, environmentally appropriate, and economically viable ways of life.

Faced with this challenge, the Regional Institute of World Heritage in Zacatecas (IRPMZ), the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, the UNESCO Office in Mexico, the National Institute of Anthropology and History, and the Directorate of Culture of the Organization of Ibero-American States are convening the international workshop "Sustainable Tourism and World Heritage," which will be held online on August 2 and 3, 2021.

Among the expected outcomes of the workshop is the strengthening, in this era of challenges and new needs, of the work of social sectors to become involved in the protection of World Heritage, as well as broadening their awareness of the importance of the relationship between culture and nature.

 

OBJECTIVE

To understand and analyze the challenges and opportunities of tourism at World Heritage sites in the subregion of Central America, the Caribbean, and Mexico, through the exchange of methodologies, case studies, and experiences from the area and other regions, in order to strengthen the capacity of stakeholders involved in this field and promote greater awareness in all communities.

 

CONTEXT

World Heritage, from the perspective of Sustainable Development, offers alternatives to promote tourism as a valuable tool for the comprehensive well-being of communities, with the participation of different levels of government and other stakeholders involved in heritage protection. Social prosperity, in our present and future, is only possible if there is a social, economic, and environmental balance. Sustainable Tourism, from the perspective of World Heritage, is one alternative on this path.

 

TARGET AUDIENCE:

Organizations, institutions, authorities, and stakeholders involved with World Cultural, Natural, and Mixed Heritage. The participation of women, youth, and communities is also encouraged to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals. Students, teachers, and researchers; community leaders; cultural managers; public servants; and service providers are welcome.