Tag: UNESCO

Darwin’s Arch, the most famous natural rock formation in the Galapagos Islands, has collapsed into the sea. Ecuadorian environmentalists say it is the result of landslides. On Tuesday, the Ecuadorian Ministry of the Environment shared a picture on its Facebook page of two rock pillars without an arch at the northern tip of an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean, 600 miles (1,000 km) south of South America. The explanation is that it is the end result of the natural erosion here. Darwin’s arch is made of natural stone. It is 43 meters or 141 feet high. Visitors on a diving ... Read more

Six important places in India have been inscribed on UNESCO’s provisional World Heritage List. Union Tourism Minister Prahlad Patel made the announcement. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has handed over to UNESCO a list of nine historic Indian sites to be inscribed on the World Heritage List. Six of the sites were selected by UNESCO. Delighted and proud that @ASIGoI had submitted a proposal for India’s 9 places for inclusion in tentative list of UNESCO, where six sites have selected in Tentative Lists of @UNESCO World Heritage Site. pic.twitter.com/CImxnYozR3 — Ministry of Culture (@MinOfCultureGoI) May 19, 2021 The provisional ... Read more

Google Arts & Culture launched Wonders of Vietnam—an online project featuring multiple highlights of Vietnam’s UNESCO heritage sites for the first time, including natural sites and tangible and intangible heritage. Completed in partnership with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, local tourism boards of Da Nang, Quang Nam, Thua Thien Hue and Quang Binh, National Geographic award-winning photographer Tran Tuan Viet and Oxalis Adventure, the new project aims to capture and preserve the beauty of Vietnam for audiences all over the world. The online project features 35 exhibitions and 1,369 stunning pictures, bringing ... Read more

Wakayama Prefecture, found just south of Osaka in western Japan, has been voted the winner of the Sustainability category for Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2021 Readers’ Choice Awards. There were a total of 3 categories this year: Diversity, Sustainability and Community. Wakayama is easily accessible from major cities but a world away, filled with sacred pilgrimage routes, mountain retreats and majestic cedar trees. Wakayama has cultivated a reputation throughout Japan as being a natural and spiritual heartland, and its conservation efforts and sustainable practices have undoubtedly left a lasting impression on travellers. It is no wonder that Wakayama stands ... Read more

UNWTO invited the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to contribute to the UNWTO Inclusive Recovery Guide, Issue 2: Cultural Tourism. This is the second set of guidelines relating to the socio-cultural impacts of COVID-19 issued by UNWTO and will continue to be revised, as the situation evolves. The publication draws on the insights and expertise of the two UN agencies to analyse the impact of the pandemic on their respective sectors. This includes how lost revenues are severely impacting communities, heritage sites, cultural events, spaces and institutions, while also weakening destinations’ competitiveness and market differentiation. The guidelines on ... Read more

Union Minister of State for Culture & Tourism (Independent Charge) Prahlad Singh Patel inaugurated the three days Incredible India Mega Homestay Development & Training Workshop in Darjeeling, West Bengal on 22 FEB. Ministry of Tourism’s India Tourism Regional Office (East) has organized this workshop from 22nd -24th February 2021 in association with the Eastern Himalayas Travel and Tour Operator Association (Resource Partner) and IIAS School of Management (Knowledge Partner) to enrich the hospitality skills of the Homestay owners of the region to ensure a better experience for the tourists. Speaking on the occasion Prahlad Singh Patel said, “The Eastern Himalayan ... Read more

The baguette – a mix of wheat flour, water, yeast, salt and a pinch of savoir-faire and as much a symbol of France as the Eiffel Tower – may soon join UNESCO’s listing of cultural treasures. Bakers say the traditional craft loaf, whose purchase from the local bakery has for decades been a ritual in French daily life, is being pushed off shop shelves, even in France, by frozen bread sticks made on giant assembly lines. “There’s not one single secret to making a good traditional baguette,” said Mickael Reydellet, owner of eight bakeries. “It requires time, a savoir-faire, the ... Read more

Ginger announces the milestone of its 75th hotel with the signing of the brand’s second hotel in Aurangabad, in the state of Maharashtra. This signing is in line with Ginger’s growth strategy of increasing the brand’s presence in key commercial hubs and state capitals of India. The hotel will be designed around the brand’s lean luxe philosophy of offering a vibrant, contemporary, and seamless hospitality experience to its guests. Commenting on the signing, Ms. Deepika Rao, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Ginger Hotels, said, “This is a proud moment for us. Our guests and the investor community have shown great ... Read more

Saudi Arabia’s northwestern AlUla Governorate which hosted the 41st summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council on Tuesday, including top leaders from the GCC’s six member-nations: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. AlUla is one of the most important archaeological sites in the world, and it tells the story of human civilization. It was a meeting point for the civilizations of the Nile and Mesopotamian valleys and the eastern coast of the Mediterranean on the one hand, and the civilizations of the Arabian Peninsula, Northeast Africa, and East Asia on the other. AlUla is home to ... Read more

Pakistan’s famous truck art will move from its highways to the skies, as a flying academy is painting a two-seater Cessna aircraft with the colorful technique. Such art has become one of Pakistan’s best-known cultural exports in recent years. UNESCO, for example, has been using truck art, blended with indigenous themes, to promote girls’ education in a northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. With elaborate and flamboyant motifs, Pakistani truck art has inspired gallery exhibitions abroad and prompted stores in Western cities to sell miniatures. “We want to show the world that Pakistan is not all about Financial Action Task Force (FATF) ... Read more

Archaeologists in Pompeii, the city buried in a volcanic eruption in 79 AD, have made the extraordinary find of a frescoed hot food and drinks shop that served up the ancient equivalent of street food to Roman passersby. Known as a termopolium, Latin for hot drinks counter, the shop was discovered in the archaeological park’s Regio V site, which is not yet open the public, and unveiled on Saturday. Traces of nearly 2,000-year-old food were found in some of the deep terra cotta jars containing hot food which the shop keeper lowered into a counter with circular holes. The front ... Read more

After tourism has been hit badly for many months due to Covid-19, the north Indian state of Rajasthan is now slowly but gradually witnessing an uprise in the number of tourists to the state. With the revival of international tourism not on the cards, the Rajasthan government has shifted its focus to domestic tourism and has started promoting its UNESCO recognized world heritage sites among local tourists. There are 9 heritage sites in Rajasthan which are recognized by UNESCO and the state government of Rajasthan has been working towards refurbishing these sites to attract more tourists. These heritage sites include ... Read more

Hampi, Karnataka India’s Hampi bagged second position in the list of ’52 places to go in 2019’ published by The New York Times. The UNESCO accredited World Heritage Site stood behind Puerto Rico, which has grabbed the top place for its amazing recovery from Hurricane Maria to rebound as a tourist destination. The report recommends Hampi as a favoured place, and talks about its archaeological monuments, scenic vistas against the Tungabhadra river, and geological rock formations. “At the heights of the Vijayanagara Empire in the 16th century, Hampi thrived as one of the largest and richest cities in the world. ... Read more

After the Buddhist Conclave in Ahmedabad, Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) is working to create new avenues in the state for Buddhist tourism by reinforcing the ties with the Buddhist nations around the world. The government also have plans to give away the state’s land to Buddhist countries to develop Buddhist theme parks and monasteries near Ajantha caves. MTDC is planning tie up with KJ Somaiya Center for Buddhist Studies to introduce new tour packages to promote Buddhist tourism in the state. The ministry of tourism has selected its UENSCO heritage sites, Ajantha and Ellora, under their Iconic Destination Project, ... Read more

Preah Vihear Temple Preah Vihear temple is located in Svay Chhrum village, Kantuot commune, Choam Ksan district, about 108 kilo meters north of Preah Vihear provincial town. Preah Vihear province was created in 1964 by cutting the land from Stung Treng, Kampong Thom and Siem Reap provinces.   The province is at the north of Cambodia, on the plateau that is rich in forests, mountains and streams. Preah Vihear temple is an ancient Hindu temple built during the reign of the Khmer Empire that is situated atop a 525 meter cliff in the Dangrek Mountains. In 1962, following a lengthy ... Read more