International Photo Prize Contest “Heritage for Planet Earth®” http://h4pe.lifebeyondtourism.org/.
From 1st January 2018, the registration for participation will be open.
The award Heritage for Planet Earth® is intended to be a part of a wider awareness-raising strategy – especially addressed to young generations – dedicated to the theme of fragility of heritage -cultural and natural– strongly linked to the planet Earth’s environmental equilibrium and climate change. It invites to develop the concept of “cultural travel” with opportunities for encounter, communication and dialogue among cultures, for the knowledge and respect of cultural diversity and for the respect of the health of the planet Earth.
On the international level, the sites of cultural interest, classified and not, and those of natural interest are increasingly attracting visitors from all over the world; therefore, these sites are enriched with multiculturalism and have an opportunity to become true centers of dialogue among cultures present on their territories.
All the actors of the travel chain, from residents to travelers, tour operators, intermediaries, guides, public administrations etc., with their services of welcome and hospitality, have an opportunity to promote the growth of international community in peaceful coexistence; an opportunity, which, due to the level of interest especially on the World Heritage Sites, could be perceived also as a duty due to the sort of ‘protection’ deriving from it.
If the sites – of cultural interest, classified and not, and those of natural interest – become centers structured for favouring dialogue and certified according to international standards, this cannot but foster a new commercial offer stimulating economic development based on a different ethics, a development associated with ‘travel’, ‘welcome’, ‘hospitality’ and ‘appreciation and respect for the diversity’ of mass travellers currently attested to exceed a billion per year; this will allow for the start of useful reflections on classified and non-classified heritage and will also stimulate reflections useful for raising awareness about the respect and protection of the ‘health’ of the planet Earth.