By
Rebecca Gibson |
Small-ship cruise operator Seabourn is to raise US$1 million for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) after signing a multi-year agreement to help protect World Heritage.
Through the partnership, Seabourn aims to encourage support UNESCO’s mission of identifying, safeguarding and promoting unique cultural and natural features around the world.
“With this partnership UNESCO and Seabourn truly demonstrate our shared commitment to safeguarding World Heritage by promoting sustainable tourism at these iconic destinations,” said Irina Bokova, director-general of UNESCO. “The partnership enables us to reach the travelling public with our conservation message which is universal in scope and so important to the dialogue and mutual understanding that is needed to nurture a culture of peace.”
World Heritage experts will sail on Seabourn’s ships as part of its Seabourn Conversations enrichment and entertainment programme, enabling guests to gain behind-the-scenes information about current and future World Heritage sites and projects.
Since Seabourn was founded, its ships have visited to hundreds of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and currently sail to more than 150 designated sites, such as the temple complex of Borobudur on Java, the excavated ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum in Italy, and the Taj Mahal in Agra, India. The line’s optional excursions that include UNESCO World Heritage Sites will now include a donation to UNESCO’s World Heritage Fund. Seabourn will also create special World Heritage Discovery Tours at a number of ports worldwide, with exclusive enhanced content on World Heritage.
“Seabourn is proud to be partnering with UNESCO to promote and support sustainable tourism,” said Richard Meadows, Seabourn president. “Through this partnership we are committed to providing our guests with a deeper appreciation and understanding of the many World Heritage sites that we visit around the globe and the important work that UNESCO is doing.”