Building on the outcomes of the first regional workshop on this subject, hosted by the City of Palermo in 2018, this second meeting focused on capacity building in the interpretation of heritage and education for sustainable development.

UNESCO designated sites, such as World Heritage sites, Biosphere Reserves and Global Geo-parks play a prominent role in the interpretation of heritage and educational services. Despite their different institutional and operational frameworks, the various UNESCO designations share the common objective to contribute to the achievement of the Organization’s mission towards peace and sustainable development. Therefore, the designations are summoned to serve as learning sites to protect and enhance cultural and natural resources, communicate and uphold the values that UNESCO stands for, and develop educational approaches supporting both.

The workshop in Bamberg brought together participants from 17 European countries to share lessons learned and discuss possibilities on how to improve heritage interpretation and education for sustainable development. The three-day programme included lectures, group exercises and on-site visits. The new World Heritage Visitor Centre in Bamberg served as a case study of how digital services can enrich the understanding of a site.

The workshop was organized by the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe in collaboration with the City of Bamberg, the Centre for Heritage Conservation Studies and Technologies at the University of Bamberg and the German National Commission for UNESCO. Experts from the OWHC member cities of Icherisheher, Kutná Hora, Vilnius and Regensburg were among the participants of the workshop.

URL: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/venice/about-this-office/single-view/news/the_role_of_visitor_centres_in_unesco_designated_sites_educ/