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Friday, 29.03.2024, 10:34
Vilnius selected as one of 34 World Heritage sites in the EU featured in ‘World Heritage Journeys’ sustainable travel web platform
Vilnius
has been working in collaboration with UNESCO and National Geographic for over
18 months to develop inspiring and educational content to be featured on the
platform. The World Heritage Journeys launch will take place when UNESCO Paris
Headquarters opens its doors to the public on 15-16 September for the European
Heritage Days event. The initiative is co-funded by the European Union and
promotes sustainable travel to some of the most remarkable World Heritage sites
in Europe. It encourages people to
‘travel differently, travel deeper’, which means travelling beyond the major
tourist hubs, staying longer and experiencing more of what the local region has
to offer.
“Our goal is to change how people travel. Staying longer
in destinations, experiencing the local culture and its environment, and
gaining a deeper knowledge and appreciation of World Heritage values,” said
Mechtild Rössler, Director of the World Heritage Centre at UNESCO.
World Heritage Journeys invites travelers to travel along
four cultural heritage itineraries—Royal Europe, Ancient Europe, Romantic
Europe and Underground Europe—which intertwine to tell fascinating stories of
Europe's heritage and history. The website has practical information and tools
to support travelers in planning their European holidays based on local
knowledge about the destinations’ cultural heritage.
“In addition to reaching travelers directly, we hope that
the travel industry—including tour operators, travel agents, and local and
national tourism authorities—will be inspired by the content we have curated,
and will develop and promote authentic tourism that aligns with the goals of the
project and reflects the outstanding universal value of World Heritage.”
World Heritage Journeys will also play a key role in
attracting Chinese visitors to Europe for the 2018 EU/China Tourism Year, an
initiative led by the European Commission and the Ministry of Culture and
Tourism of the People’s Republic of China in collaboration with the European
Travel Commission (ETC). The website is available in English, Chinese and
French. The platform also contributes to the goals of the 2018 European Year of
Cultural Heritage.
“This project is a great example of how National
Geographic ignites the explorer in all of us looking to explore the farthest
reaches of the Earth and beyond. It seeks to contribute to the economic health
of the communities in and around the World Heritage sites, and guide tourists
to unique cultural attractions and experiences, as recommended by local
experts,” said Frank Biasi, Director of digital development and travel programs
at National Geographic Maps. “With this local knowledge, the website encourages
travelers from North America, China and other major tourism markets to travel
differently and travel deeper, and use the platform to inspire and plan their
European trips.”
****
World Heritage Journeys: www.visiteuworldheritage.com
Participating World Heritage sites:
Vilnius Historic Centre (Lithuania) click here
18th-Century
Royal Palace at Caserta with the Park, the Aqueduct of Vanvitelli, and the San
Leucio Complex (Italy) click here
Ancient City
of Nessebar (Bulgaria) click here
Aranjuez
Cultural Landscape (Spain) click here
Archaeological
Area and the Patriarchal Basilica of Aquileia (Italy) click here
Archaeological
Ensemble of Tárraco (Spain) click here
Archaeological
Site of Olympia (Greece) click here
Champagne
Hillsides, Houses and Cellars (France) click here
Cultural
Landscape of Sintra (Portugal) click here
Gardens and
Castle at Kroměříž (Czech Republic) click here
Historic
Centre of Brugge (Belgium) click here
Historic
Centre of San Gimignano (Italy) click here
Historic Town
of Banská Štiavnica and The technical Monuments in its Vicinity,
Slovakia
Lednice-Valtice
Cultural Landscape (Czech Republic) click here
Major Mining
Sites of Wallonia (Belgium) click here
Mines of
Rammelsberg, Historic Town of Goslar and Upper Harz Water Management System
(Germany) click here
Mining Area
of The Great Copper Mountain in Falun (Sweden) click
here
Mont-Saint-Michel and its
Bay (France) click here
Nord-Pas De
Calais Mining Basin (France) click here
Palace and Park Of
Versailles (France) click here
Palaces and
Parks of Potsdam and Berlin (Germany) click here
Pafos (Cyprus) click here
Pont du Gard
(Roman Aqueduct) (France) click here
Roman
Monuments, Cathedral of St Peter and Church of Our Lady in Trier (Germany)
click
here
Royal Botanic
Gardens, Kew (United Kingdom) click here
Sanctuary of
Asklepios at Epidaurus (Greece) click here
Stari Grad
Plain (Croatia) click here
The Par Force
Hunting Landscape in North Zealand (Denmark) click here
The Royal
Domain of Drottningholm (Sweden) click here
Tokaj Wine
Region Historic Cultural Landscape (Hungary) click here
Upper Middle
Rhine Valley (Germany) click here
Vilnius
Historic Centre (Lithuania) click here
Wachau
Cultural Landscape (Austria) click here
Wieliczka and Bochnia
Royal Salt Mines (Poland) click here
Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex
in Essen (Germany)
click
here