Seabourn Partners With Photographer Geoff Steven To Photograph UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Bonn, Germany, July 6, 2015 - Seabourn, the ultra-luxury small ship cruise line,
is partnering with Geoff Steven, director of the Our Place World Heritage Collection, an
official partner of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
Through the partnership, which was announced last week in Bonn, Germany, where
the 39th session of the World Heritage Committee is
meeting, Steven will capture images of less photographed World Heritage Sites
at destinations where Seabourn ships visit.
Steven
will also share his rare perspective, knowledge, and experience documenting the
many World Heritage Sites around the globe as a guest lecturer in the line's Seabourn Conversations onboard enrichment program. He will
also offer photography tips and coaching as guests visit these impressive
sites.
"Our
partnership with Geoff and Our Place is a perfect fit. Seabourn visits an
extensive array of ports that are home to hundreds of World Heritage Sites, and
there is no one better to capture imagery of these historic destinations than
Our Place," said John Delaney, Seabourn's senior vice president, marketing
and sales. "With his talent through the lens and expertise and knowledge
on the subject, Geoff will offer a unique perspective on the significance of
these destinations, what they mean for the world, and why they must be
protected."
Steven
will sail on Seabourn Quest's 14-day "Majestic Fjords and North Cape" cruise along the coast
of Norway photographing the Norwegian Fjords which is a UNESCO World Heritage
Site. Departing Copenhagen on July 11, 2015, and landing as far north as
Honningsvag, Norway, before returning July 25, the voyage marks Steven's second
Seabourn cruise and is a continuation of his partnership with the cruise line.
He sailed on Seabourn Odyssey's 12-day "Gems of the Java Sea,"
late last year, participating in Seabourn Conversations and photographing World
Heritage Sites, all documented in a Seabourn Blog post - "No Need for Straight Horizons".
Steven's
"Our Place" project has official partnership status with UNESCO and
is considered "the first official World Heritage photographic
databank." To date, Steven and his team of 20 photographers have captured
over 360 sites in more than 90 countries for use in global promotions, as well
as to be archived for posterity.
"The
sites on the UNESCO World Heritage list are some of the planet's most
significant locations. They are also some of the most photogenic places that
one could ever wish to visit," said Steven. "Our Place is excited
about the unique opportunity that Seabourn has given us to travel to these
special places and use our photographs to spread the message about World
Heritage to their guests and the wider public. I believe that if people are
made aware of the world's heritage, then they can care for it. Together with
the Seabourn team, we want to work to further this ideal," added Steven.
"We are pleased to see that two valuable
partners of UNESCO's World Heritage Centre are now working together
towards strengthening the visibility and the conservation of World
Heritage sites," said Kishore Rao, Director of the UNESCO World Heritage
Centre. "This is exactly the type of public involvement we need to
raise the profiles of the cultural and natural sites inscribed on the World
Heritage List and to guarantee the conservation of the world's heritage,"
added Mr. Rao.
Seabourn's ships circle the globe throughout the year
and include more than 150 designated World Heritage Sites in its itineraries.
Through its partnership with UNESCO, Seabourn offers deeper insight and
behind-the-scenes information about current and future World Heritage sites and
projects. The company supports the World Heritage Sustainable Tourism Programme
aiming to ensure that tourism delivers benefits for the conservation of sites
and local communities. The line has created special World Heritage
Discovery Tours with exclusive enhanced content developed in cooperation with
UNESCO World Heritage site managers and tour experts. Fares for Seabourn optional
excursions that include UNESCO World Heritage Sites include a donation to
UNESCO's World Heritage Fund.
For more details about the award-winning Seabourn
fleet, or to explore the worldwide selection of Seabourn cruising options,
contact a professional travel advisor, call Seabourn at 1-800-929-9391 or visit
www.seabourn.com.
To view some of the more than 360 World Heritage sites
currently documented by the Our Place team and to see some of Geoff Steven's
photographs selected from sites he has personally photographed, please
visit www.ourplaceworldheritage.com.
For more information about the World Heritage Convention, please visit http://whc.unesco.org/en. To follow the 39th session of the World Heritage Committee meeting in Bonn from June 28 to July 8, 2015, please visit http://whc.unesco.org/en/sessions/39com/.
For more
Information:
Anne-Cecile
Blanchot
Hawkins
International Public Relations
(212) 255-6541
or Annececile@hawkpr.com
