UNESCO Conference in Greece Delves Into Impact of Overtourism

November 17th was the 50th anniversary of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention. Marking the event is an international, two-day conference that started at Delphi, Greece.

The forum is entitled “The Next 50—The future of World Heritage in challenging times enhancing resilience and sustainability”. Part of its main purpose is to address the impact of overtourism on ancient monuments.

That is because while climate change has an obvious, negative impact on ancient Greek cultural monuments and heritage sights, mass tourism is also to blame.

UNESCO is a part of the United Nations. Its primary focus is on promoting world peace and security through arts, sciences, culture, and education. Since World War II, the mission of the agency has been to advance peace, human rights, and sustainable development.

One way is by clearing the way for partnerships and interchanges between its 193 member and 12 associate states. UNESCO’s founding mission, which was shaped by the Second World War, is, therefore, to advance peace, sustainable development, and human rights by facilitating collaboration and dialogue among nations.