Manifesto & Appeal
Heritage as a Compass for Peace
The Manifesto and Appeal outline a shared vision: transforming World Heritage Sites into living laboratories of dialogue and peace. They are both a call and a roadmap, inviting to turn cultural diversity into a driver of sustainable and ethical development.
The Manifesto 2025
A Roadmap for Heritage and Peace
The Manifesto 2025 represents the most mature synthesis of a journey that began with COMI S.p.A. and was developed by the Romualdo Del Bianco Foundation. Rooted in the principles of the Life Beyond Tourism® Model, it serves as a programmatic charter for the future of World Heritage Sites and, more broadly, of places rich in multicultural encounters.
The Manifesto acts as a compass: it calls for a shift from consumptive tourism to an economy of peace, where heritage is not only safeguarded but also becomes a generator of human relations. Travelers are redefined as active agents of dialogue, contributing to global understanding and peace.
Guiding Principles
The Manifesto articulates 14 guiding principles for the management of World Heritage Sites. These principles emphasize:
The inseparable link between peace, sustainable development, and cultural diversity.
The potential of World Heritage Sites as crossroads of intercultural dialogue.
The need to create new ethical economic activities that complement heritage and reduce dependence on mono-market tourism.
The role of local communities and enterprises in becoming co-creators of dialogue-based initiatives, strengthening both cultural identity and economic resilience.
In this framework, World Heritage Sites are envisioned as laboratories of encounter, where peace is not only preserved but actively built.
The “Benefit Traveler”
A new sense of Responsibility
The Manifesto also redefines the figure of the traveler. No longer a passive consumer, the traveler becomes a “Benefit Traveler”:
A temporary resident, immersed in the cultural and social life of the place.
A seeker of authentic experiences, guided by curiosity and respect.
A responsible presence, generating social, cultural, and economic value.
In this way, the traveler becomes the activator of the Model, transforming presence into collective benefit and reinforcing the culture of peace.
The Appeal
Heritage for Building Peace H4BP-2025
The path of the Manifesto culminates in the Appeal “Heritage for Building Peace 2025” (H4BP-2025), launched in Florence on 26 November 2025 by the Romualdo Del Bianco Foundation – Life Beyond Tourism.
The Appeal is inspired by a year of significant anniversaries — the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, the 80th of UNESCO, the 50th of UNWTO, and the 50th of COMI S.p.A. — and was symbolically accompanied by the presentation of Stupore, the artistic work by Paolo Del Bianco, turning the metal of war into the metal of peace.
Core Principles of the Appeal
The Appeal rests on three pillars:
Heritage as a builder of peace – a catalyst for relationships, understanding, and friendship.
The Third Way – alongside protection and enjoyment, heritage becomes a platform for dialogue, where traveling means engaging with the Other.
An ethical economy of dialogue – innovative, non-extractive economic practices that generate value from intercultural relations and support communities.
A Call to the International Community
From Florence, the Appeal was addressed to the international community, and especially to UNESCO, as well as institutions, cultural organizations, enterprises, local communities, and travelers worldwide. It invites them to join a shared commitment:
“To promote workshops for the Culture of Encounter, Dialogue, and Reciprocity, co-creating and implementing ethical and innovative initiatives that make heritage a true driver of peace.”
An Invitation to Action
The Appeal is not a theoretical declaration. It is an invitation to concrete action, open to anyone wishing to sign in person or online. Endorsing the Appeal means recognizing heritage as not only an inheritance to be protected, but also as an insurance for peace in a fragmented world.
This global call marks the beginning of a new phase: the creation of the Officine delle Buone Pratiche (Workshops of Good Practices), to translate principles into methods, experiences, and projects that can be replicated across World Heritage Sites worldwide.
