This year, from 18 to 20 September, The UNESCO Dolomites Foundation once again took part in the World Heritage Tourism Expo, the global tourism exhibition devoted to UNESCO World Heritage cities and sites.
The exhibition, now in its sixth year, was held in the centre of Padua in the spectacular Palazzo della Ragione. The aim of the show is to promote sustainable tourism in the sites included in the UNESCO World Heritage list.
The show featured stands displaying aspects of UNESCO World Heritage sites set up by entities and institutions from all over the world, 126 heritage sites to be precise. 90 Italian and foreign buyers also took part and the show attracted over 20,000 visitors.
“Enhancing the value of cultural and natural World Heritage Sites must not stop at merely protecting them” according to the President of the Association of Italian UNESCO World Heritage Sites, “this must also be communicated using specially designed tools capable of promoting the features of the different sites, taking into account their unique value and the socio-economic situation in order to arouse the interest of the end users”.