Online meeting: Sustainable Tourism in UNESCO World Heritage Marine Sites

On Thursday 5 December 2024, managers from the Rock Islands Southern Lagoon (Palau) and the Great Barrier Reef (Australia) World Heritage sites, alongside experts from UNESCO and the IUCN, will share first-hand insights on managing visitor behaviour to promote sustainable tourism that supports conservation.

Tourism and UNESCO World Heritage marine sites are intrinsically linked, as these flagship marine protected areas (MPAs) often become major tourist destinations, attracting visitors from across the globe. While tourism can drive economic development and provide social benefits to the local community, unplanned development and excessive visitor numbers can threaten the integrity of these sites, especially as they face the accelerating impacts of climate change and global biodiversity loss.

Biodiversity loss and climate change already pose significant risks to UNESCO World Heritage marine sites’ ecosystem and local communities, making it essential to adopt sustainable tourism practices to build the resilience of these iconic MPAs. These sites are home to over one-third of the world's vulnerable and endangered marine species. Yet, more than 70% of these sites are currently threatened by the impacts of climate change, according to the IUCN World Heritage Outlook 3.

By implementing ecotourism practices that minimise ecosystem degradation, engage and sustain local communities, and minimise greenhouse gas emissions, the tourism sector can not only safeguard these MPAs of Outstanding Universal Value but also contribute to broader global conservation goals—like the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework’s target to protect 30% of Earth’s habitats by 2030.

This month’s online meeting will include manager perspectives from Ms. Jennifer Olegeriil (Rock Islands Southern Lagoon World Heritage site, Palau) and Ms. Fiona Merida (Great Barrier Reef World Heritage site, Australia), as well as expert insights from Mr. Arnau Teixidor (IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation) and Mr. Peter Debrine (UNESCO World Heritage Sustainable Tourism Programme), who will provide advice on developing a visitor management system, as well as how to monitor for success using environmental and community benchmarks.

Several times per year, UNESCO's World Heritage Marine Programme provides an exclusive online platform where managers from the 51 World Heritage marine sites connect and share practical successes in tackling key conservation challenges.

Due to their status as the world’s flagship MPAs, World Heritage marine sites are uniquely positioned to drive change and innovation, set new global standards in conservation excellence, and serve as beacons of hope in a changing ocean. The online meetings are made possible thanks to the support of the French Biodiversity Agency and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.

Participation is upon invitation only.