26 April 2019
On 28 March 2019, the UNESCO Almaty Office organized a seminar in Taldykorgan, Kazakhstan, to raise awareness of and improve the understanding about the proper management of the UNESCO-designated sites in Almaty region.
During the meeting, representatives of culture, tourism and education departments of the Akimat of Almaty region, managers of UNESCO-designated sites, representatives of local tourism-related organizations, museums and universities learnt about Kazakhstan's international commitments related to the conservation and management of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and biosphere reserves, as well as the opportunities these sites offer for local development, including through the promotion of tourism.We recall that there are two World Heritage sites (Petroglyphs of Tamgaly and three components of transboundary Chang’an-Tianshan Corridor), as well as four biosphere reserves (Alakol, Altyn-Emel, Charyn and Zhongar) in Almaty region.
©UNESCO Almaty
The meeting allowed all stakeholders identify challenges, share their concerns and put forward recommendations regarding the management and conservation of UNESCO-designated sites in the region, as well as the promotion of heritage-based tourism in this area. Most of the participants emphasized the need to strengthen the management of UNESCO-designated sites in Almaty region, including the coordination and communication mechanisms between the Akimats of the region and the districts, Ministry of Culture and Sport, the National Commission for UNESCO and ISESCO, and other relevant institutions.
The participants also highlighted limited human resources and funding for proper management of the internationally recognized sites in their region and asked the UNESCO Almaty Office to conduct more training workshops and seminars for local administration and museum staff.
©UNESCO Almaty
Another issue mentioned during the discussion was cooperation with the media: the participants of the event noted the need to involve media for better awareness raising on the issue of the management of UNESCO-designated sites.
With regard to the natural heritage, the participants noted that ecological corridors for the migration of various species should be taken into account when planning infrastructure development in Almaty region, especially in the areas in proximity to the UNESCO biosphere reserves.
©UNESCO Almaty
The event was organized in the framework of the UNESCO project “Promoting sustainable development in Kazakhstan through UNESCO-designated sites” supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan and implemented in five regions of Kazakhstan. For further information about the project, please contact Ms Natalia Kim, UNESCO Almaty (email: n.kim@unesco.org).
Permanent link: http://en.unesco.kz/unesco-promotes-heritage-based-tourism-in-almaty-region