Under the motto “Protection, Prosperity and Conservation”, the Wadden Sea World Heritage and the UNESCO World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism Programme will be represented at the ITB Berlin, the world´s largest tourism fair, from 9 to 13 March 2016 in Berlin, Germany.

The World Heritage Wadden Sea can be found in Hall 4.1, booth 227 and offers a varied and interesting programme, with Wadden Sea-related activities for both tourism professionals and individual visitors. By showcasing best practice examples, the general public and the tourism sector can learn about the challenges of tourism in a fragile environment, but also the benefits of being a World Heritage site. Stories from different parts of the Wadden Sea area and from other World Heritage sites show how locals have embraced the concept of “outstanding universal value” and its protection, and are using it to transform, improve and develop tourism in their region.

 “The UNESCO World Heritage Convention is one of the most successful UN instruments for promoting cultural diplomacy and dialogue on the conservation of cultural and natural heritage. We are honoured and pleased to have this opportunity to partner with the UNESCO Sustainable Tourism Programme to showcase World Heritage-related activities in the Wadden Sea,” states Rüdiger Strempel, Secretary of the Common Wadden Sea Secretariat (CWSS). Anja Domnick, CWSS Project Officer Sustainable Tourism Strategy, notes: “World Heritage sites like the Wadden Sea clearly act as flagships for conservation worldwide and are important travel destinations that have great potential for local economic development”.

On Wednesday 9 March, the Wadden Sea World Heritage participates at the 11th Pow-Wow for Tourism Professionals. This year, the Pow-Wow has “cherishing the earth’s water resources” as its topic. Speakers include Peter Südbeck, Director of the Wadden Sea National Park Lower Saxony, and Peter Debrine from the UNESCO World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism programme, who will provide insights into how the World Heritage status can contribute to long-term sustainability.

On Friday 11 March, visitors will have the opportunity to exchange ideas about sustainable tourism and World Heritage with experts from the field, in the context of a master class and a panel discussion.

For the detailed programme for tourism professionals, please click here.

During the weekend, individual visitors can experience the Wadden Sea through a broad range of activities, including candle making, games about beach finds and bird migration, and a lottery. This will be an opportunity for the general public to find out more about the Wadden Sea and its treasures, and shows once more that the Wadden Sea, even though it stretches over three different countries, is one integrated World Heritage site.

For the weekend programme for the general public, please click here (in German).

For the duration of ITB, CWSS will also display an exhibition about the Crown Jewels of the Oceans in Hall 4.1, stand 208. This photo exhibition will run throughout the trade show to visually showcase the beauty of the UNESCO Marine World Heritage sites, and to provide background information. Stunning pictures of unique places, like the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador, the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park in the Philippines as well as Wadden Sea.

About the Wadden Sea:

The Wadden Sea World Heritage, stretching 500 km along the North Sea coast of Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands, is the largest system of intertidal sand and mudflats in the world. Throughout the area, natural processes are allowed to proceed in an undisturbed way.

In 2009, the Wadden Sea was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List for its globally unique geological and ecological values. Such a dynamic landscape with such a multitude of habitats, shaped by wind and tides, exists nowhere else in the world. The Wadden Sea is home to over 10,000 species of plants and animals, which continuously adapt to the area’s ever-changing environment. Biodiversity on a worldwide scale (migratory birds for example) is reliant on the Wadden Sea.

For further information please contact:

Simon Lobach | Communication Officer | Common Wadden Sea Secretariat
Virchowstrasse 1, D-26382 Wilhelmshaven (Germany)
T +49 (0)4421 9108-19 | M +49 (0)170 27 06 274
Email: lobach@waddensea-secretariat.org
waddensea-secretariat.org | waddensea-worldheritage.org