A signpost makes all the difference. If your municipality includes a World Heritage Site, why not spell it out? The councillors of the municipalities granted this honour (and this responsibility, too) have seen the point of this and are seizing the opportunity offered by the UNESCO Dolomites Foundation, which has asked the Italian National UNESCO Commission to allow individual municipalities to use its logo.
A logical choice
This is the conscious choice made by the Municipality of Val di Zoldo, the second local authority in Veneto, after Auronzo, to create a signpost containing the precise wording: “The Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage”, the equivalent of a medal of honour that is put into practice in the field with a commitment to supporting and promoting the values of the landscape that is the reason for UNESCO listing. Then there is another signpost, hung directly underneath stating: “Villaggio degli alpinisti” (Mountaineering Village), indicating that the Municipality has, along with the other bordering municipalities Zoppè di Cadore and Cibiana di Cadore, obtained certification of its intention to offer eco-sustainable tourism, through membership of the network of Mountaineering Villages, focusing on environmental protection, care for the community and the ability to communicate the local history and culture to visitors.
… open to all
As already stated, the opportunity to equip themselves with the signpost has been offered to all the municipalities with a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site within their borders. The Foundation has written to all the local authorities telling them about this opportunity. During the inauguration ceremony for the signpost in Auronzo, The Councillor responsible for tourism in the Veneto region Federico Caner said: “Use of this logo has a much deeper meaning than that of a mere signpost indicating some demarcation line, rather it has a communicative value, expressing the links between the local communities, bearing witness to their pride at belonging to one of the world’s most magical places, unsurprisingly recognised as a World Heritage Site”.