Slovakia to join UNESCO project for supporting tourism

Slovakia will participate in UNESCO's new initiative which aims to increase direct benefits for local people derived from tourism at World Heritage Sites in the broader central and eastern European region. The UNESCO World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism Programme seeks to enhance the socio-economic development of cities, towns and regions via tourism with the UNESCO brand. The initiative will be launched with an international conference on sustainable tourism, scheduled to take place in Bardejov (Prešov region) in May 2017. According to Slovakia's Permanent Representation to UNESCO in Paris, tourist visits to sites included on the UNESCO World Heritage List as well as on national cultural and natural heritage lists have the potential to contribute greatly towards the local economy and social development, as well as to help close the gap between living standards across the regions.