Cruise & Ferry Itinerary Planning 2020

2 0 Cruising to World Heritage sites A round the world, certain locations have played an enormously important part in the history of mankind and our understanding of the world around us. From the Taj Mahal in India to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, the Pyramids of Egypt and the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, these locations of outstanding natural and cultural importance serve as important links to the past, and a valuable legacy for the future. It was to recognise and protect these sites that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) established the World Heritage Convention and its lists in 1972, pledging to safeguard them for future generations to experience. Since 1992, Unesco’s World Heritage Centre has been the focal point for these preservation efforts. “The fundamental mission of the World Heritage Centre is supporting countries in implementing the World Heritage Convention, in identifying and protecting the world’s outstanding sites,” explains Ernesto Ottone R., assistant director general for culture at Unesco. “This also includes safeguarding World Heritage sites in times of conflict, supporting transboundary or transnational Unesco’s Ernesto Ottone R. explains to Alex Smith why World Heritage sites have captured the imaginations of countless travellers, and how the cruise industry can help continue this legacy COVER STORY The World Heritage List was established in 1972 to recognise and protect sites such as the Great Barrier Reef