UNESCO names Maldives’ Baa Atoll among world’s most important natural and cultural sites

Dubai : The Wadi Rum Protected Area in Jordan has just been named to UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

The 74,000 hectare (268 square mile) area is a popular destination for guests of Four Seasons Hotel AmmanFour Seasons Hotel Amman, who are enchanted by its desert landscape, narrow gorges, natural arches, towering cliffs and hidden caverns that reveal petroglyphs, thousands of inscriptions and archaeological remains of cultures going back 12,000 years.

The Baa Atoll, home to Four Hotels and Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru, has just been named a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). It’s the first site in the Maldives, joining more than 560 other reserves around the world, each dedicated to promoting sustainable development based on local community efforts and sound science.

“Our team of biologists and staff have been working closely with the Maldivian government to preserve the delicate environment of the Baa Atoll through programs such as coral propagation, the Manta Ray Project, sea turtle protection and our Marine Discovery Centre,” says Regional Vice President and General Manager Armando Kraenzlin of the Resort. “Now the world will know what our guests already appreciate - that this area is environmentally unique and fascinating.”

Also new to the World Heritage List is the West Lake Cultural Landscape of Hangzhou, home to the new Four Seasons HotelFour Seasons Hotel Hangzhou at West Lake. The area, which includes the lake’s surrounding hills, has inspired poets, scholars, artists and even Marco Polo since the 9th century with its beautiful landscape, historic temples and pagodas, extensive gardens and its centuries-old man-made causeways and islands.

“From the first glimpse of West Lake, it’s clear that this is a very special place. Our Hotel is tucked away in one of the West Lake’s prettiest lagoons, set among acres of landscaped gardens inspired by the local aesthetic,” says General Manager Rudolf van Dijk of the hotel. “The opportunity to help people from across China and around the world discover this astounding area is a matter of pride and joy for our staff.”