World Heritage Alliance for Sustainable Tourism

Issue Area: Sustainable Development

The World Heritage Alliance for Sustainable Tourism (WHA) engages the travel industry to:

  • promote environmentally and economically sustainable business practices around UNESCO World Heritage sites,
  • educate travelers about traveling responsibly and
  • support the development of local communities around these special sites. 

Together with about 50 members from the travel industry, governments and conservation community we are working to preserve more than 20 World Heritage sites in seven countries.

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RELATED CAMPAIGNS

 

STORIES OF IMPACT

  1. Empowering Women Entrepreneurs in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula to Preserve World Heritage

    Area of Involvement: Sustainable Development

    Meet Lizbeth Pool Uc, co-founder of Flor de Tajonal, a women’s cooperative in the small town of Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Mexico that makes and sells honey and honey products.  For generations, Lizbeth’s family has been keeping bees, one of the oldest economic activities of the Yucatan’s Mayan people and an important part of their ceremonial life.   

  2. The Galapagos Islands - Biodiversity on the Brink

    Area of Involvement: Sustainable Development

    Many of us first read about the Galápagos Islands in a high school biology text book.  Charles Darwin's famous theory of evolution was inspired by his visit to one of the largest, most complex, most diverse, and best preserved ocean archipelagos on earth.  Because of its outstanding and universal value, the Galápagos Islands were fittingly designated as our planet's first World Heritage site in 1978. 

  3. Community Tours Sian Ka'an builds a successful business model

    Area of Involvement: Sustainable Development

    Community Tours Sian Ka'an is a locally-owned and operated tour service in Mexico.  They needed some help getting their business off the ground and to make it successful.  We were there to support them.

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World Heritage sites are the natural and cultural wonders of the world. Find out how you can protect these special places and learn about the communities who live near World Heritage sites.

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