Media Center

UN Foundation Welcomes Costa Rica Tourism Board to World Heritage Alliance for Sustainable Tourism

Washington DC, (May 27, 2009) — 

Erika Harms, Executive Director for Sustainable Development at the UN Foundation, released the following statement.

"I am pleased to welcome the Costa Rica Tourism Board as the newest member of the World Heritage Alliance for Sustainable Tourism (WHA). As a native of Costa Rica, I applaud this next step in our nation’s mission to become a global leader in sustainable tourism and a model for countries around the world.

The Costa Rica Tourism Board is joining more than 70 global WHA members, as well as a vibrant group of local members, including Green Hotels of Costa Rica, NatureAir, the Responsible Business Alliance, Grupo Islita, Solimar Travel, and Horizontes Nature Tours.

The Alliance works to support World Heritage conservation, sustainable tourism, and local economic development for communities in and around UNESCO World Heritage sites. Costa Rica’s Área de Conservación Guanacaste, Cocos Islands, and La Amistad are centers of pride and identity, as well as sources of income that can sustain local communities. The WHA seeks to establish and encourage a tourism infrastructure that promotes the physical conservation of World Heritage sites and the sustainable economic development of surrounding communities.

I look forward to the continued success of the Costa Rica Tourism Board in engaging partners, attracting customers, and promoting and protecting these valuable World Heritage sites among locals and travelers alike."

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About the World Heritage Alliance for Sustainable Tourism

The World Heritage Alliance for Sustainable Tourism is an industry-leading initiative that works to support World Heritage conservation, sustainable tourism, and local economic development for communities in and around UNESCO World Heritage sites. The UN Foundation and Expedia, Inc. created the World Heritage Alliance in the fall of 2005 with the agreement of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre. www.worldheritagealliance.org.

About the UN Foundation

The UN Foundation, a public charity, was created in 1998 with entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turner’s historic $1 billion gift to support UN causes and activities. The UN Foundation is an advocate for the UN and a platform for connecting people, ideas, and resources to help the United Nations solve global problems.  We build partnerships, grow constituencies, mobilize resources, and advocate policy changes to support the UN’s work for individual and global progress.  The UN Foundation’s work – focused on select global problems – is decreasing child mortality, improving disaster relief, protecting diverse cultures and environments, creating a clean energy future, empowering women and girls, and improving U.S.-UN relations.  For more information, visit www.unfoundation.org.