Stronger global action on climate change is needed to address the problem of mass bleaching that’s affecting coral reefs worldwide, according to a new report to the World Heritage Committee.

The draft report, which will be considered at the meeting of the UNESCO body in Poland next month, says that 75% of the planet’s 29 World Heritage coral reefs have been exposed to mass bleaching over the past three years.

This includes the Great Barrier Reef — which has been hit by unprecedented back-to-back bleaching events in 2016 and again this year.

The report comes as an independent group of global leaders called Ocean Elders has written to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull calling on him to stop the development of the Adani Carmichael coal mine in Queensland’s Galilee Basin.

Jetwing Vil Uyana Sigiriya Sri Lanka: Location, How to Reach, Cost, Experiences; Sreshti Verma; Tripoto

June 22, 2017 AllAboutWorldHeritage Leave a comment

In the past few decades, the hospitality industry has taken decisive steps towards promoting ecotourism in various parts of the world. From conscious practices in waste management to entire lodges made of recycled material, eco lodges have emerged as an inspiring trend.

Vil Uyana Hotel

Pioneering this green initiative in Sri Lanka is a luxury lodge of Jetwing Hotels, Vil Uyana. The creation of this property has transformed a massive piece of barren land into a manmade wetland sustaining the dwindling bird and wildlife population of the area. The patch that was once a victim of slash-and-burn agriculture is now an award-winning luxury eco lodge inhabiting guests and rare wildlife species such as the gray slender loris.

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

A Weekend In Edinburgh – How to Get the Best from Your Trip; Suze; Luxury Columnist

June 22, 2017 AllAboutWorldHeritage Leave a comment

Scotland’s capital is one of the most captivating places in the UK, with a whole host of attractions to keep you busy. There are world-class museums, stunning natural attractions and secret spots galore. Your only difficulty will be in fitting it all in! We’re sharing our favourite things to do with a weekend in Edinburgh, to help you make the most of your time.

Weekend in Edinburgh – Day 1

To get your bearings, head to Calton Hill, around a mile from the Castle and the Old Town. This UNESCO World Heritage site has quite a few iconic landmarks including the City Observatory and the Nelson Monument. After the 5 minute climb, you’ll enjoy panoramic views over Edinburgh and towards Fife.

For an even better view, pay the £5 fee to ascend the Nelson Monument.

Peru

Visiting Machu Picchu will be more difficult starting July 1; Travel On The Dollar

June 22, 2017 AllAboutWorldHeritage Leave a comment

Peru – Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu

One of the world’s most famous tourist attraction, Machu Picchu, was added to the UNESCO World Heritage collection more than 30 years ago. This greatest artistic and architectural land has been inundated by the influx of tourists, and taken a heavy toll on the site and its conservation. To avoid further damage to the structure, tourist access to this popular destination will become significantly limited.

Under pressure from UNESCO, Peruvian authorities announced new measures to minimize, rather control the flow of tourists to Machu Picchu.

Official tour guide
Starting July 1, 2017, all foreign visitors to Machu Picchu are required to hire an official guide to enter the ancient site. Guides must be licensed and group size will be limited to 16 people per guide.

Pre-designated routes
After entering, they will be required to follow one of three pre-designated routes through the citadel complex.

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Stonehenge revellers celebrate summer solstice; AFP

June 22, 2017 AllAboutWorldHeritage Leave a comment

UK – Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites

Around 13,000 people gathered at Stonehenge on Wednesday to witness the summer solstice sunrise at Britain’s most famous prehistoric monument.

Druids and midsummer revellers witnessed the sun rise at 4:52am (0352 GMT) on the longest day of the year at the site, whose stones are aligned to the sun’s position when it rises on the solstice.

The mysterious circle of standing stones, on Salisbury Plain in southwest England, is one of the most famous ancient sites in Europe.

Some pagans hugged the carved bluestones while one group of revellers did yoga together and others laid their hands together on the stones and chanted.

The summer solstice is the only time in the year when the precious stones can be touched.

Some visitors had garlands of flowers in their hair, played guitars or tambourines, while others simply laid down to soak up the atmosphere.

Viet Nam

Halong Bay and North-Central Vietnam Travel Guide; Fodor’s Travel

June 22, 2017 AllAboutWorldHeritage Leave a comment

PLAN YOUR HALONG BAY AND NORTH-CENTRAL VIETNAM VACATION

There can be no disguising the stature of Halong Bay among Vietnam’s tourist draws. The UNESCO World Heritage–listed seascape, a mind-blowing collection of limestone karsts that loom jaggedly from the emerald waters of the Gulf of Tonkin, is justifiably famous and is a key part of an itinerary for most visitors to the country. Many luxurious cruise boats ply the seas, and spending at least one night on the bay is a must. East of Halong Bay, Bai Tu Long Bay shares similar scenery with its near neighbor, but sees far less tourist traffic. Cat Ba Island is the biggest island in the area and offers stirring jungle scenery as well as some wonderful beaches.

These coastal attractions are far from the only highlights in the area east and immediately south of Hanoi.

India

Notice served on 55 Bodh Gaya monasteries for alleged violation of building rules; Anil Kumar Ojha; Hindustan Times

June 21, 2017 AllAboutWorldHeritage Leave a comment

India – Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya

The Bodh Gaya nagar panchayat initiated the action after a petition was filed by the hoteliers’ Association and the mukhiya sangh in the Patna high court against “violation of building rules and conversion of monasteries into guest houses and hotels”.

GAYA: The Bodh Gaya Nagar Panchayat has served notices on 55 foreign Buddhist monasteries for allegedly violating building laws and running commercial activity from there.

The circle office at Bodh Gaya, 111 kms south of Patna, has initiated a separate inquiry to find out violation of building norms by any monastery and structure that may have illegally come up on the land distributed among Dalits and homeless by the Bihar government in the 1980s.

Japan

Kawaguchiko Herb Festival – Beautiful Blooms at the Base of Mount Fuji; Tyas Utami; Taiken Japan

June 21, 2017 AllAboutWorldHeritage Leave a comment

Japan – Fujisan, sacred place and source of artistic inspiration

Japan is well known for the beauty of Mount Fuji. Since 20121 it has been registered as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage. Lake Kawaguchi (also known as Kawaguchi-ko in Japanese) in Yamanashi prefecture completes the beauty of Mt Fuji with its large water surface and its surrounding nature. While there is plenty of nature to discover in the area, I’d like to introduce you to the Kawaguchi-ko Herb Festival, held here annually in June and July, during which you can enjoy panoramic views of Mount Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi, all while surrounded by blooming lavender and other herb flowers.

This event is held in two places, Yagisaki Park and Ooishi Park (also spelled Oishi Park). In 2017 the event began on 16 June, and runs through early to mid July.

1. Yagisaki Park

France

Indonesia invited to promote tourism at French university; The Jakarta Post

June 21, 2017 AllAboutWorldHeritage Leave a comment

France – The Loire Valley between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes

The Visit Indonesia Tourism Officer (VITO) in France was specially invited by the University of Angers to give a presentation on the Wonderful Indonesia tourism brand at the Tourism International Festival from June 15 to 17.

“We feel honored; usually we have to pay to conduct a presentation at an international tourism marketing event, but this time we were actually invited to the event. The French people are interested in getting to know Indonesia,” said the Tourism Ministry’s deputy for overseas promotion, I Gde Pitana.

Held for the first time by the university, Indonesia was invited as a guest country to participate in the festival.

Some of the activities during the festival included a discussion forum with Indonesian university lecturers, traditional dance and gamelan performances as well as an art market.

Malaysia

How to Spend 2 Days in Melaka – A Quick Itinerary; Aditi Shukla; Tripzilla

June 21, 2017 AllAboutWorldHeritage Leave a comment

Experience the best of Melaka even for a short 2-day trip.

The historic hub of Melaka hosts tourists all year round. It houses the famous UNESCO World Heritage Site and has umpteen options for eating local food and exploring famous fort ruins. Melaka was originally a local fishing village. It grew to be a perfect blend of tradition and culture, being one of the few multi-linguistic states of Malaysia. I fondly call it Mini Penang, due to the resemblance of tourist spots and similarity of food. If you have planned a 2-day trip to Melaka, here’s what you can do in the short span of time.

Day 1

Dutch Square

Head to Dutch Square at Bandar Hilir in the morning and bask in the sunlit scenes of historic terracotta buildings, colourful trishaws and cute street shops.

All About World Heritage Sites

Stop Adani to ease ‘unprecedented decline’ on the GBR: Sylvia Earle; Fran Kelly; ABC Radio National

Jetwing Vil Uyana Sigiriya Sri Lanka: Location, How to Reach, Cost, Experiences; Sreshti Verma; Tripoto

Vil Uyana Hotel

A Weekend In Edinburgh – How to Get the Best from Your Trip; Suze; Luxury Columnist

Weekend in Edinburgh – Day 1

Visiting Machu Picchu will be more difficult starting July 1; Travel On The Dollar

Stonehenge revellers celebrate summer solstice; AFP

Halong Bay and North-Central Vietnam Travel Guide; Fodor’s Travel

PLAN YOUR HALONG BAY AND NORTH-CENTRAL VIETNAM VACATION

Notice served on 55 Bodh Gaya monasteries for alleged violation of building rules; Anil Kumar Ojha; Hindustan Times

The Bodh Gaya nagar panchayat initiated the action after a petition was filed by the hoteliers’ Association and the mukhiya sangh in the Patna high court against “violation of building rules and conversion of monasteries into guest houses and hotels”.

Kawaguchiko Herb Festival – Beautiful Blooms at the Base of Mount Fuji; Tyas Utami; Taiken Japan

1. Yagisaki Park

Indonesia invited to promote tourism at French university; The Jakarta Post

How to Spend 2 Days in Melaka – A Quick Itinerary; Aditi Shukla; Tripzilla

Day 1

Dutch Square

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