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Step 5: Apply to Be Included on This Site (Optional)
If your business supports conservation at your World Heritage site, then you are invited to apply to be featured on this website. Businesses that are approved will have an opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to sustainable tourism and preserving World Heritage to prospective travellers visiting this site to plan their trip to your destination.
About the Program
UNESCO, in association with National Geographic and supported by KOICA, have launched a pilot project to bring together some of the most remarkable Buddhist World Heritage sites across southern Asia to promote sustainable tourism at those sites. This content and brand marketing programme is designed to leverage engaging content and the UNESCO, World Heritage, and National Geographic brands to increase sustainable tourism and economic development in the communities that host and steward World Heritage sites. This pilot project may grow to include more World Heritage sites, travel themes, and target markets in the future.
A select group of local tourism businesses that are invited by the World Heritage site and/or local destination management organization to participate in the program will be featured on the World Heritage Journeys Buddha platform and social media channels. Businesses can be recognized as a supporter of World Heritage if they fall into one or both of the following categories:
Heritage or Cultural Based Visitor Experience - The tourism business provides a heritage or cultural based tourism experience that complements the visit to the World Heritage site.
Supporting Heritage/Conservation – The tourism business is actively enhancing, expressing, or protecting cultural heritage through financial contributions, proactive support of conservation efforts, or active membership in heritage/conservation-related organizations.
Participation Criteria
To qualify, a local business will need to demonstrate that they meet at least three of the following criteria for each category. The marketing platform will include a description of your business that will include a description of how the local business meets these criteria.
1. Heritage or Cultural Based Visitor Experience:
✓ Is relevant to the historical period and cultural attributes of the World Heritage site
✓ Is relevant to the World Heritage Journey theme (Buddhist Heritage)
✓ Use traditional design and construction techniques when building or renovating
✓ Buys or sells products produced locally with traditional materials and techniques
✓ Conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits the tangible and intangible heritage of humanity
✓ Focuses on a creative industry, which include arts, publishing, music, cinema, crafts, and design
2. Supporting Heritage/Conservation
✓ Actively supports conservation of historic monuments, buildings, or archaeological sites
✓ Donates funds or goods and services to the World Heritage site
✓ Educates visitors in codes of conduct at sites
✓ Educates visitors about the Heritage site's Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) and attributes
✓ Educates staff and the local community about site OUV and attributes
✓ Asks visitors to contribute to supporting conservation efforts
✓ Affiliated with heritage/conservation-related organizations
Application Process
To Apply
Prospective businesses will submit an application using the form below. The local representatives from the World Heritage Journeys program will screen applications and ensure that applicants meet the defined criteria. Such measures include conducting background research on applicants, and speaking and/or meeting with applicants to better understand their business and interests as a supporter.
Approving Applications
Upon approval, supporters will be asked to work with our editors to provide a business description, photos, videos, and other details, and to and make changes or provide additional information as requested. Before launch of the programme businesses will be provided with a marketing and branding toolkit to help promote the Journeys platform and showcase your commitment to sustainable tourism and World Heritage site conservation.
Declining Application
If the application is denied, the applicant will receive a communication stating the reasons for denial. If a newly accepted supporter does not complete the initial requirements for submitting information to be featured on the marketing platform, that application will also be considered denied. These applicants are encouraged to update their business offerings and heritage support to better meet the criteria if possible.
Cost to Participate
At this time there is no fee for a local business to participate in the program. To ensure sustainability of the initiative and support on-going maintenance and marketing of the platform, World Heritage site managers and tourism organizations are developing a long term management and marketing plan for the initiative. During this planning process the steering committee may identify the need to ask local business supporters to pay a nominal yearly fee based on the size of the business. This will be determined at a later date, but by becoming a featured local business now, you are not committing to pay a fee in the future.
Apply Now
To apply for the World Heritage Journeys of Buddha, complete the form below:
