What will UNESCO World Heritage look like in 2035?

This was the central question during the World Heritage Café Resilient (World) Heritage, which took place on 14 May 2025 at World Heritage Kinderdijk. Students and heritage professionals came together to explore the challenges, risks, and opportunities facing World Heritage as part of the National Action Day for Resilient Heritage.

The future of UNESCO World Heritage

Scenario planning is a method used to anticipate the future, especially its uncertainties. Dr. Albert Postma (ETFI, NHL Stenden) introduced the audience to this method, which is applied by ETFI in tourism and leisure research. Scenario planning enables organisations to explore what the future might hold. Several possible scenarios are developed, outlining potential developments and their implications for a site such as World Heritage. This approach provides organisations with insights into threats and risks, helping them prepare for possible consequences.

What will World Heritage look like in 2035?

Students from NHL Stenden (Master International Leisure, Tourism & Events Management), under the guidance of Dr. Sarike van Slooten (NHL Stenden), then presented the outcomes of their research, in which they applied scenario planning to UNESCO World Heritage. How can the heritage sector anticipate climate extremes or political shifts? The students used World Heritage sites Kinderdijk, Schokland and its surroundings, and the Rietveld Schröder House as case studies, offering concrete recommendations to the representatives of these sites.

Panel discussion in a café setting

Following the student presentations, a panel discussion took place with Rob Smouter (Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed), Adrie Warmenhoven (Eise Eisinga Planetarium), and Jelmer Krom (Waterschap Rivierenland), moderated by Peter-Jan van Steenbergen (Stichting Werelderfgoed Kinderdijk). The panel explored policies relating to the resilience of the heritage field and how strategic collaboration can strengthen it — with the Kinderdijk backdrop serving as an inspiring starting point. One of the key conclusions was that UNESCO World Heritage can serve as a powerful source of inspiration in terms of resilience. Illustrator Martijn Cornelissen summarised the event in a visual report, underlining the need for collaboration to face the future with resilience.

About the event

The World Heritage Café Resilient (World) Heritage was organised by Stichting Werelderfgoed Nederland, Stichting Werelderfgoed Kinderdijk, and NHL Stenden. The World Heritage Café is held several times a year to engage the heritage sector in the ambassadorial role of Stichting Werelderfgoed Nederland and to connect organisations interested in active participation. The National Action Day for Resilient Heritage is organised annually by the Nederlandse Unesco Commissie, Blue Shield Nederland, and Cultural Emergency Response.

Foto's: Bertel Kolthof