Helping Build Communities
The “Helping Build Communities” campaign is about how everyday travelers like you can connect with and contribute to local World Heritage communities.
During this campaign, we’ll bring to you information about the local communities that were recently awarded grants by the Friends of World Heritage Fund to support local sustainable tourism and conservation activities around World Heritage sites.
And we’ll try to offer you ideas on how to connect with communities when you travel.
But why is it important to support communities?
- World Heritage sites provide important tourism dollars and business to local economies.
- Preservation of the natural environment around World Heritage sites is crucial to the health of the families who live there.
- World Heritage sites are often a great source of national and community pride.
- Local people are often the best and first stewards of World Heritage sites.
What can you do to help?
Throughout the campaign, we’ll be highlighting ways in which everyday travelers have helped support local communities. Some easy ways you can help include:
- Buy locally made crafts and souvenirs instead of mass-produced gifts
- Learn some key phrases of the local language. You’ll be able to converse with local people more easily.
- Consider spending a day or two of your trip clearing trails from the local nature preserve or coaching a youth sports team in the area.
Do you have a great tip or story you want to share with us? Email your words, photos and video to worldheritage@unfoundation.org. We’ll feature the best stories and tips online during the campaign.
HELPING COMMUNITIES IN ACTION
- Friends of World Heritage announced their 2007 grant recipients in Mexico and Belize. The Friends of World Heritage Fund supports community development projects that promote sustainable tourism in and around World Heritage sites.
- The Expedia Employee Service Program sends Expedia employees to World Heritage communities in order to share their expertise. The Program strives to promote and help the environments, cultures, heritage and well-being of local residents.
- In the fall of 2007, Hurricane Dean, a category 5 storm, devastated Sian Ka'an, a Mayan community on the Yucatan Peninsula. Friends of World Heritage issued an emergency appeal for funds to help the families of Sian Ka'an rebuild their sustainable businesses and feed their families while their crops were replanted. Watch a video of our work there.
- Voluntourism is the combination of volunteer service with travel. Find out more about voluntourism and watch video of two voluntourists describe their rewarding experiences.
RESOURCES
- Contribute to the Friends of World Heritage Fund. 100% of your donation dollars will go to World Heritage communities.
