UNESCO representatives meet in Bardejov

An international conference entitled Leveraging the UNESCO Brand for Sustainable Tourism Development in Central European Regions is taking place in Bardejov Spa, eastern Slovakia on Friday. According to the Environment Ministry State Secretary Norbert Kurilla, it is an opportunity for Slovakia to make more effective use of sites included on the World Heritage List. According to the state secretary, the protection of cultural and natural wonders combined with tourism is an opportunity for the least developed regions of Slovakia, as "it can generate jobs and offer attractive economic opportunities," he said. The conference is the first step in implementing the UNESCO World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism project in Slovakia, which is the very first country in Central and Eastern Europe region to do so.