Cultural Heritage Administration, along with the Ministry of Culture and Education and Andong City, sponsors the “2006 ICOMOS Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting & ICOMOS International Cultural Tourism Committee Workshop” which is hosted by ICOMOS-Korea.

 

The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) gives professional advice to UNESCO in terms of the protection of the World Heritage. Since its establishment in 1964, this non-governmental organization has expanded to have 5,500 members in 107 countries. ICOMOS-Korea was established in April 1994.

 

This year’s conference takes place in several venues in Korea, such as Seoul, Gyeongju and Andong, from June 9^th to 13^th under the theme of “Impact of Mass Tourism on Historic Villages”. Participants will discuss strategies to preserve the value of historic villages as living communities and use them as sustainable tourism resources.

 

There will be approximately 50 participants from 21 countries including ICOMOS Secretary General Dinu Bumbaru and other ICOMOS officials from international and national committees. The conference consists of lectures on the impacts of mass tourism on historic villages, case presentations and discussions, visit to Yangdong Village (Gyeongju) and Hahoe Village (Andong), and drawing up a Recommendation.

 

ICOMOS-Korea hosted the “ICOMS Regional Conference” last year and the attendants adopted the “Seoul Declaration on Tourism in Asia’s Historic Towns and Areas”. This year’s conference is expected to set desirable directions to turn historic villages into tourism resources by proposing concrete measures to implement the Seoul Declaration.

 

Cultural Heritage Administration will take diverse policy measures to sustainably utilize Korean historic villages such as Hahoe Village, Andong, while preserving their original features and values.