SAARC seminar on tourism, heritage and sustainable development in Kandy

Friday, 25 April 2014 00:00 -     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The first SAARC Regional Seminar on Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Sustainable Development (CHTSD) in South Asia will be held on 28 and 29 April in Peradeniya, Kandy. Cultural heritage tourism and sustainable development have been in the agenda of World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) since the early ’70s. The theme of the World Tourism Day in 1999 was Tourism: Preserving World Heritage for the New Millennium and the same year a declaration was adopted in Khiva (Uzbekistan) jointly with UNESCO, Council of Europe, ICOMOS and the Organization of the World Heritage Cities on Tourism and the Preservation of the Cultural Heritage. Starting in 2011, the SAARC Cultural Centre has been undertaking annual research projects on a cultural theme of common interest and with South Asian focus. Cultural heritage is one of the most pervasive tourism resources in the world. Most trips away from home involve some element of culture, and Cultural Heritage Tourism (CHT) continues to grow each year. The growing awareness for culture has also set a new tourism trend that is driven by a widespread desire to discover new places and explore different cultures. SAARC Regional Conference on Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Sustainable Development (CHTSD) in South Asia will be a brainstorming session to discuss the key issues and moot research questions and also to identify themes and sub-themes of Cultural Heritage Tourism and Sustainable Development (CHTSD) in South Asia that merit independent and in-depth research. Academics and experts on the subject are invited for the Conference to present papers on relevant themes. A one-day post-conference tour will be organised on 30 April in Anuradhapura and Sigiriya, for all registered delegates of the conference.

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