Saturday, 24 February 2024, marked the official opening of the international conference, “Opportunities for Heritage”, taking place at the German University of Technology in Oman, in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman. The conference, held under the patronage of His Excellency Salim Al Mahrouqi, Minister of Heritage and Tourism, was held until 27 February 2024.

The UNESCO chair for World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism Management in the Arab Region, in collaboration with the Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage (ARC-WH), welcomed scholars, participants, speakers and guests from over 20 countries worldwide. The event was organized in partnership with the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism of the Sultanate of Oman and the Oman National Commission for Education, Culture and Science.

On 25 February, in a panel dedicated to Managing Tourism at World Heritage Sites, the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe Programme and their potential in the Arab region was presented by Stefano DOMINIONI, Executive Secretary of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe, and Director of the European Institute of Cultural Routes.

Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe are an important tool for sustainable tourism and local development on the ground, with many best practices examples.

For more information on the Opportunities for Heritage Conference, please visit their dedicated website: Home - O4H 2024 (gutech.edu.om)