**NPS Joins the World Heritage Alliance**\
\
The World Heritage Alliance, founded by the United Nations Foundation
and Expedia, is a partnership designed to engage the tourism industry
and others to promote sustainable tourism at World Heritage Sites. 
UNESCO\'s World Heritage List includes 851 sites in 141 countries
considered to be the world\'s most important cultural and natural
treasures.  Across the globe spectacular places such as the Pyramids of
Giza, the Great Wall, the Taj Mahal, and the Great Barrier Reef, among
others, have been designated by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites. The
World Heritage label is increasingly perceived as a major boon to
tourism in many countries, particularly in Europe as well as in
developing nations. With proper planning and guidance, tourism can serve
to enhance conservation of the sites as well provide economic
opportunities for local populations; however, if it isn\'t properly
managed tourism often results in negative impacts to the sites and
surrounding communities. 

In the United States, there are 20 designated World Heritage Sites\--of
these, 17 are managed, in whole or in part, by the National Park
Service, including Yellowstone National Park and the Statue of Liberty. 
Under the direction of the Assistant Secretary of the Interior,  NPS is
the principle government agency in charge of coordinating participation
in World Heritage on behalf of the United States.   Following on several
years of informal partnership with the United Nations Foundation, the
National Park Service\'s Office of International Affairs recently became
an Associate Partner of the World Heritage Alliance by signing a Letter
of Understanding with the Alliance in recognition of several mutual
goals including raising awareness and support for the protection of
World Heritage sites and the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, the
international treaty under which the World Heritage program operates. 

Through the Alliance, NPS hopes to improve understanding and awareness
of World Heritage Sites in the US, not only among Americans but also
among international visitors.  World Heritage is less well known in the
US than in other countries in part because there have been no concerted
efforts to market the label as a \"brand\".   In addition, since most of
the US sites are national parks, many iconic in their own right, their
World Heritage designation has been less prominent.  Nonetheless, as the
US submits its candidate list of future nominations and begins to
consider new nominations of lesser known sites in the next several
years, it will be important to promote a better understanding in the US
of what World Heritage is and why its important.  In addition, tourism
is growing at several US World Heritage sites, and through the Alliance,
NPS hopes to work with local tourism providers to raise awareness of
travellers as well as the tourism industry of responsible practices when
visiting the sites.  Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and San Juan
National Historic Site, both administered by the National Park Service,
are the first US sites where activities under the Alliance have taken
place.

At San Juan National Historic Site, the Alliance hosted a meeting with
Park Officials, local government officials, the Puerto Rico Tourism
Company, the Puerto Rico Convention Bureau, local hotel and tour
operators in San Juan. Although these groups have already been working
together, the idea of promoting the site and encouraging conservation of
the World Heritage Site was very well received. It also comes a most
opportune time, as many of these partners including the NPS were
exploring strategies to incorporate new areas to the Park\'s World
Heritage Site Designation. A number of the participants have since
submitted applications to officially become members of the Alliance.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park recently became an Associate member of
the World Heritage Alliance and signed a Letter of Understanding with
the Alliance that tiers off of the national agreement. Prior to that a
number of activities have been held in support of mutual goals that
includes raising awareness and support of this World Heritage Site.
Sponsered by Expedia and the Alliance, a stewardship campaign was
conducted with industry personnel that included cultural awareness
sensitivity training for all participants. Focus group meetings were
also held around the islands with tourism and industry officials at the
federal, state and local level. Gateway communities to the park have
also been engaged, A great deal of enthusiasm has been generated locally
as a result of the new partnership, and the awareness of the
significance of \"Hawaii\'s gift to the world\" has been increased. The
support the park is receiving for these efforts from the Hawaii Island
Visitor\'s Bureau has been overwhelming. Lastly, in early 2008 the
Alliance, in partnership with Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, will be
conducting formal training for industry personnel at 3 venues in Hawaii.

For more information on the World Heritage Alliance, or the United
Nations Foundation, please visit the following websites:

**[World Heritage
Alliance](http://www.nps.gov/cgi-bin/intercept?http://www.worldheritagealliance.org/)**
or the [**UN
Foundation**](http://www.nps.gov/cgi-bin/intercept?http://www.unfoundation.org/about/index.asp)