UNESCO and MoT Hosts World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism Conclave

UNESCO, together with the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, organised the Strategic Conclave on World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism: Inspiring Innovative and Inclusive Approaches on August 21, 2025, in New Delhi, India, in line with UNESCO’s strategy to leverage World Heritage for Sustainable Development.

The Conclave brought together over 60 officials and representatives from the central government, state tourism and culture departments, industry leaders, and investment agencies, and served as a collaborative platform to shape the future of tourism in India. It highlighted global best practices and promoted strategies to elevate cultural landmarks.

“One of the most important things we need to do, as we build public-private partnership models around our heritage assets, is to ensure that the resources generated at the site are ploughed back into its upkeep and development. This requires us to create a framework of economic and financial autonomy for our heritage assets, so that they can be maintained sustainably and deliver long-term benefits, said Suman Billa, Additional Secretary and Director General, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.

Junhi Han, Chief of Culture, UNESCO Regional Office for South Asia, commented, “UNESCO’s primary mandate is to safeguard and preserve our cultural heritage. However, at the same time, we recognise the importance of harnessing this heritage as a driver for sustainable tourism. To this end, UNESCO developed the World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism Programme to guide the management and development of sustainable tourism at World Heritage properties. The programme focuses on fostering awareness, building capacity, and ensuring balanced participation of all stakeholders to safeguard these sites and protect their Outstanding Universal Value.”

India’s 44 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, each a unique embodiment of the nation’s rich cultural and historical narrative, serve as cornerstone attractions for such tourism. Yet, despite their immense significance, many remain underutilised.

Key discussion areas included infrastructure development, enhanced site accessibility, improved visitor experiences, community-led tourism initiatives, and balancing heritage preservation with ecological sustainability.

The codes of ethics on accessibility at heritage sites adopted by various countries were showcased, along with approaches for integrating accessibility in a minimally invasive manner that preserves the site’s unique character to foster inclusive tourism at World Heritage Sites.

“Accessibility is an integral part of sustainability, especially for the various monuments and tourism attractions, because more the footfall, more the money we will make and more culture we will spread," said Sminu Jindal, Director, Jindal SAW Limited and Founder-Chairperson of Svayam.

Representatives from the Royal Commission for AlUla, Snøhetta, and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture presented case studies on AlUla, the Lascaux IV International Centre for Cave Art, and the Humayun’s Tomb World Heritage Site Museum, showcasing innovative and unconventional approaches.

Case studies of the Louvre Museum and the City Palace Museum, Jaipur, illustrated the transformative impact of strategic tourism initiatives at heritage sites. The conclave also highlighted initiatives at Bodhgaya and Rajon ki Baoli led by the Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee and the World Monuments Fund India, respectively.

By engaging diverse perspectives, the discussion inspired actionable solutions to enhance heritage site management, ensuring economic viability while preserving cultural and environmental integrity.

In her closing remarks, Mugdha Sinha, Managing Director, India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), stated, “The Conclave brought together the centre, state, and private sector, and highlighted relevant case studies from practitioners who have achieved what policy advocates. Peer learning is a great way to get started, and some of the case studies discussed here allowed participants to learn from these examples so they can be replicated and upscaled. In today’s creative economy, sustainable tourism is less about construction and more about smart ideas that create value while preserving heritage.”

She further added that tradition, talent, trade, technology, and tourism—the five Ts—must converge to advance sustainable tourism, reiterating the message of the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi.

This UNESCO initiative aligns with the World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism Programme, which seeks to facilitate the sustainable management and development of tourism at World Heritage properties by fostering greater awareness, building capacity, and ensuring balanced stakeholder participation to safeguard these sites and their Outstanding Universal Value.