COVID-19 travel restrictions present opportunity to focus on Culture and Heritage Protection

June 25, 2020

Education / Environment / Hospitality / Tourism /

The World Tourism Association for Culture & Heritage (WTACH) notes that the COVID-19 travel restrictions have presented an opportunity to pause, reflect and reshape policies on cultural and heritage tourism.

WTACH has been appointed as Association Partner for the Qatar Travel Mart (QTM) in Doha, 17th to 19^th November 2020. The development is part of a bilateral agreement between WTACH and NeXTfairs, the QTM 2020 organisers.

In the agreement, WTACH will advise NeXTfairs on program content for the one-day conference to be held in conjunction with the mart. WTACH will also use digital media to brief its global membership about the benefits of participating in QTM.

During the event’s conference, WTACH President Chris Flynn will present on the growth and significance of cultural heritage tourism. There will be discussions on the challenges and opportunities facing the world’s cultural and heritage sites, many of which have deteriorated noticeably as a direct result of over-tourism.

However, in 2020 the Covid-19 pandemic has applied the brakes temporarily.

Flynn notes “Covid has given us all an opportunity to pause, reflect and reshape our policies on cultural and heritage tourism.

“The aim now is to ensure that protections are in place that will preserve fragile and unique cultural assets as we come out of lockdown.”

The association’s president said that he would work closely with QTM 2020 organisers to share WTACH’s philosophy. The objective in Doha would be to present strategies and goals to a global audience that cares about culture and heritage in tourism.

Flynn adds “we simply must protect our world’s diverse culture and heritage assets, many of which are sacred sites.

“We need to work with local custodians, host communities and visitors. Too many important sites have been damaged as a result of mismanagement.

“We are looking forward to working closely with NeXTfairs to ensure that our important messages enjoy a global reach.”

The partnership was welcomed by NeXTfairs General Manager Rawad Sleem who advised “we believe that there is a need to focus upon responsible tourism by minimising the negative impact it brings to communities.

“That is why we are pleased to have WTACH as our Association Partner for Qatar Travel Mart.”

For more information on WTACH go to https://www.wtach.org

For further information on the Qatar Travel Mart visit https://qtmqatar.com

9th January 2020 - Gwoonwardu Mia offers an impressive cultural tourism destination

1st May 2019 - Auckland Art Fair taps into fast-growing cultural tourism market

7th October 2018 - Victoria benefits from cultural tourism boom

10th October 2017 - Conference to explore best practice in cultural tourism in the Middle East

16th March 2014 - Development begins on US$6.5 billion Chinese cultural tourism resort

25th February 2014 - Cultural tourism takes central stage at Qatar’s ‘Tourism in Tomorrow’s World’ conference

6th December 2010 - New Cultural Tourism Centre For Ancient Art Form

28th October 2019 - University of South Australia research focuses on sustainable tourism

24th September 2019 - 1,000 delegates attend Phuket sustainable tourism event

30th August 2019 - Sustainable tourism initiative nominated for New Zealand business award

17th May 2019 - Strong support for New Zealand’s focus on sustainable tourism growth

16th May 2019 - New Zealand Government delivers strategy for sustainable tourism growth

9th April 2019 - Cambodian sustainable tourism initiative congratulates WTTC award winners

8th April 2019 - WTTC recognises sustainable tourism excellence with 2019 Awards

28th March 2019 - Baycourt Community and Arts Centre secures Gold Sustainable Tourism Business Award

4th November 2018 - Canterbury researchers use social media analysis to understand sustainable tourism

23rd July 2018 - Holiday parks key to sustainable tourism growth across New Zealand’s regions

21st April 2018 - WTTC recognises sustainable tourism excellence with 2018 Awards

Support our industry news service
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?

As an independent publisher, we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news.