About

Message from the Chair

It gives me great pleasure to invite you all to the Sultanate of Oman, the essence of Arabia, the land where cultural and natural heritage intertwines to form a unique landscape, the land of cultural diversity, the land of tolerance, the state that has culture and heritage at the core of all its policies.

The UNESCO chair for World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism Management in the Arab Region is holding its inaugural conference from 24-27 February 2024 in Muscat – It will be a pleasure to welcome you to this exceptional event offering great networking opportunities and exploring new academic and professional horizons.

The conference is held under the patronage of HE the Minister of Heritage and Tourism – Sultanate of Oman and in partnership with Oman National Commission for UNESCO. The conference is co-organized by the Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage (ARC-WH), a Category II centre under the auspices of UNESCO.

This international conference aims to bring together stakeholders from the fields of heritage, culture, tourism, and urban and rural development on national, regional, and international levels. The conference will explore the opportunities that heritage can offer for the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs-2030).

In addition to a rich academic programme, the conference will include a field trip to some of Oman’s amazing attractions allowing you to discover the rich heritage and culture that this land has to offer.

I look forward to welcome you here in Muscat.



Heba Aziz
Professor
Conference Chair

Themes

  • Best practices in site management 
  • Historic Urban Landscape 
  • Heritage impact assessment 
  • Heritage and Climate Change 
  • Reflections on the 1972 World Heritage Convention  
  • Synergies amongst the conventions 
  • Tangible and intangible heritage 
  • Balancing conservation and development 
  • Industrial heritage, modern heritage 
  • Visitors’ management and satisfaction 
  • Museum management 
  • Heritage and conflicts 
  • New techniques for heritage conservation
  • Tourism and heritage in the digital era
  • Heritage digitalization
  • Funding and governance models
  • Interpretation and communication
  • Investment in heritage
  • Heritage and the SDGs
  • Tourism in the context of World Heritage sites
  • Best practices for sustainable tourism management at World Heritage sites
  • Community involvement in heritage management
  • Cultural tourism
  • Nature-based tourism
  • Youth and education for heritage