Map of the Week – Sustainable Tourism and Heritage
World Tourism Day (WTD ) is celebrated every year on 27 September, the anniversary of the adoption of the Statutes of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO ). This year, the theme was ‘Tourism and Green Investments’. The global tourism industry has long been a powerful driver of economic growth, offering stunning destinations, unique cultural experiences, and a chance to explore the beauty of our planet. Tourism development has a positive impact on economic growth yet it also consumes high amounts of energy and is considered as a high emission sector. As we venture into a world more conscious of environmental, social, and cultural challenges, it is important to understand the interaction among innovation, tourism development, and the impact on climate change and sustainable development.
While safeguarding the planet’s beauty and benefitting economic growth, let’s not forget tourism serves as a bridge between the past and the present, allowing us to connect with our roots and celebrate the diversity of human experience. This year, the theme of European Heritage Days was dedicated to ‘Living Heritages’, referring to practices, knowledge, and skills that have been passed from generation to generation and are still in use today [1]. Our world is rich with heritage sites and cultural treasures that tell the story of human history. These sites are not only valuable for their historical significance but also for the insights they offer into the diversity of human cultures. The map this week shows the locations of maritime and coastal UNESCO World Heritage sites across Europe and all around the world. These sites, which are part of the World Heritage list, are considered by the World Heritage Committee as having outstanding universal value. In these sites, visitors can learn about history and travel back in time to understand our societies from a cultural, social, environmental, and economic point of view, and the rich legacies they have left. Zoom in the map and click on the sites to learn more about these World Heritage sites!
Wish to know more?
- Read about the EMODnet for Business workshop on marine data for coastal tourism held on 26-27 September which addressed how the coastal tourism industry can benefit from open data sharing provided by EMODnet services, and reciprocally, how the coastal tourism sector can contribute marine environmental measurements to EMODnet databases.
- Find the descriptions of the World Heritage sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List .
- Learn about UNESCO World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism Programme .
- Find out about UNESCO’s work in Underwater Cultural Heritage protection .
- Look at what events are happening in your country in the framework of European Heritage Days.
- Read about UNWTO’s effort in promoting sustainable tourism .
- Think about carbon footprint generated when planning to travel, and consider ways to reduce it.
By embracing green innovation and upholding our heritages, the tourism industry has the potential to become a force to support environmental sustainability, cultural preservation, and economic development, which benefits people and the planet.
The data in this map are provided by UNESCO.