UNESCO - TripAdvisor pact to preserve heritage sites

02/11/2009

The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has teamed up with TripAdvisor, to mobilize support to preserve natural and cultural sites inscribed on its World Heritage List. “Because of TripAdvisor’s excellent reach to their member community, we can, together, raise awareness of World Heritage as well as receive member feedback about sites,” said Francesco Bandarin, Director of UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre.

“This certainly helps us flag site issues and provides useful information on how World Heritage travellers engage with the sites and their communities. We are looking forward to partnering with TripAdvisor on this initiative,” he added in a news release announcing the two-year initiative.

TripAdvisor founder and Chief Executive Officer Stephen Kaufer pledged to donate up to $1.5 million over the next two years to help UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre monitor the conservation of the 890 natural and cultural sites inscribed on the World Heritage List. The Centre also provides technical and administrative support for States that have ratified the 1972 World Heritage Convention, enabling them to translate its provisions into action.

“We’re calling on the world’s largest travel community to help preserve the places around the world that we all love,” said Mr. Kaufer. “In support of UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre, we will give not only dollars but also the collective wisdom and support of TripAdvisor’s millions of travellers, and their trusted insights. We’re eager to build global awareness about World Heritage sites, and about sustainable and responsible travel.” More than 25 million online visitors use its TripAdvisor’s websites every month to find and share travel information.

In another development, UNESCO has elected 12 new members as the number of sites already inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List nears 900. At a meeting in Paris, the General Assembly of States Parties to the World Heritage Convention, adopted by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1972, replaced more than half the 21 members of the World Heritage Committee that oversees the treaty.

Cambodia, Estonia, Ethiopia, France, Iraq, Mali, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, Switzerland, Thailand and United Arab Emirates now join Australia, Bahrain, Barbados, Brazil, China, Egypt, Jordan, Nigeria and Sweden for a four-year term in reviewing States’ requests for the inscription of new sites and determining which of those already on the list are in danger of serious deterioration.

The 890 sites inscribed so far range from the minaret and archaeological remains of Jam and the cultural landscape and archaeological remains of the Bamiyan Valley in Afghanistan, both considered endangered, to Victoria Falls and Great Zimbabwe National Monument in Zimbabwe. Ratified by 186 countries to date, the World Heritage Convention enjoys almost universal endorsement.