Dr Natarajan Ishwaran
Chief, Natural Heritage Section, World Heritage Centre, UNESCO

Tourism Development and World Heritage Conservation - New Ways Of Working Together

Abstract:
Tourism is a cross cutting theme with significant potential for generating educational, social and economic benefits around networks of World Natural and Cultural Heritage sites, all potentially benefiting conservation. Realizing this potential is the principal goal of the Centre's efforts to engage the tourism industry in long-term co-operative efforts. Interest for direct co-operation with tour operators, travel agencies and hotel chains is therefore a growing priority for UNESCO World Heritage Centre's Sustainable Tourism Programme. New partnerships being developed include one for transferring Ecotourism Australia's experience and skills to other World Heritage States Parties. Australia is an example where the World Heritage label has been used effectively to promote sustainable tourism. The World Heritage label has a demonstrated significance for tourism development in other countries. China, as it races towards becoming the world's largest sought after tourist destination, is beginning to see value in the World Heritage label as demonstrated in Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong World Heritage sites in Sichuan. World Heritage cities and archaeological sites are more accessible and easily visited and hence may serve as catalysts for building recognition showing the overall significance of the World Heritage label.


Biography:
Dr. Natarajan Ishwaran is a Sri Lankan national who has worked with UNESCO's World Heritage Convention since he joined the organization in 1986. In his UNESCO career he has served as a specialist in Environmental Sciences and Natural Heritage conservation based at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France (1986-1993 and 1996 - till present) and at the UNESCO Office in Jakarta, Indonesia (1993-1996). Currently he is the Chief of the Natural Heritage Section at the World Heritage Centre, UNESCO Paris. Dr Ishwaran has a BSc (Honours) degree in Zoology and an MSc in Animal Ecology from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, and a Ph.D. in Wildlife Biology and Management from Michigan State University, USA. He has co-authored more than 20 scientific and technical articles and 2 books on subjects dealing with ecology, conservation and protected area management. Mr Ishwaran has more than 25 years of working experience in the field of nature conservation and has worked with projects and programmes involving governments, NGOs, the private sector and the local communities.