UNESCO and Sofitel Legend bring local culture and heritage into the travel experience

UNESCO brings expertise drawn from its networks of World Heritage sites, Biosphere Reserves, Creative Cities, Intangible Cultural Heritage and Global Geoparks.

UNESCO and Sofitel Legend have announced a three-year partnership that puts cultural heritage at the centre of the hotel experience, connecting travellers with the people and traditions behind each destination. Guests will meet artists, craftspeople, heritage professionals, conservation specialists and local communities through experiences shaped around local knowledge. These encounters will give participants greater visibility and new earning opportunities, helping pass skills to future generations.

The partnership responds to growing interest in travel that feels authentic, respects local communities and supports the places people visit. Tourism accounts for close to 10% of global GDP and supports more than 300 million jobs, giving the industry considerable influence over local livelihoods. Its scale also creates pressures on destinations, making responsible tourism important for inclusive growth, cultural exchange, biodiversity protection and climate resilience.

UNESCO brings expertise drawn from its networks of World Heritage sites, Biosphere Reserves, Creative Cities, Intangible Cultural Heritage and Global Geoparks. Its international mandate to identify, safeguard and promote exceptional places and traditions provides the foundation for experiences that share its values through direct encounters. Sofitel Legend hotels will become cultural platforms where guests can understand local heritage and contribute to the economies that sustain it.

Four pillars connect hotel stays with local heritage

The partnership rests on four pillars: support for communities and artisans, traveller education, cultural encounters inside hotels and financial contributions to heritage preservation. Hotels will work with artisans, creators and heritage professionals identified through UNESCO's networks, opening opportunities for their work to reach visitors. Hotel teams, beginning with concierges, will receive training informed by UNESCO's technical expertise so they can explain each destination's history and living traditions.

Exhibitions, meetings with artists and locally made products in hotel boutiques will create opportunities for visitors to discover the people behind the craftsmanship. Guests will also be able to make voluntary contributions supporting UNESCO through the ALL Accor Charity platform, including donations of their ALL Rewards points. These activities will connect cultural discovery with practical support for heritage, giving communities a stronger presence within the hotels.

Hanoi will host the first cultural experiences

Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi will serve as the pilot destination as the historic hotel marks its 125th anniversary. The UNESCO Office in Hanoi will work with the hotel and local partners over the coming months to develop the first portfolio of experiences, connecting visitors with heritage across the city and within the property. The approach will gradually extend to Sofitel Legend hotels worldwide, with each location responding to its own cultural identity and conservation needs.

The proposed Ha Noi Coffee Journey draws on Viet Nam's coffee culture and the hotel's account of its egg coffee origins in 1946, with one or two Trung Nguyen Coffee experts leading a mindful tasting experience. A half-day visit to Bat Trang pottery village, around 30 minutes from Hanoi, will include a museum tour, a traditional lunch and a ceramics workshop with a master artisan. At the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, a heritage expert will guide guests through remains and historical artefacts normally closed to the public, explaining the site's thousand-year history and ongoing archaeological conservation.

Viet Nam's heritage provides a foundation for responsible tourism

Viet Nam's UNESCO designations include nine World Heritage Sites and 17 elements of living heritage, reflecting both remarkable places and the communities that keep traditional knowledge alive. Its four Creative Cities and six Learning Cities demonstrate the role of culture and lifelong education in local development. These networks provide a broader setting for the partnership's work, linking visitor experiences with skills, creativity and community participation.

The country also has 12 Biosphere Reserves and four Global Geoparks, reflecting its commitment to protecting natural resources and living in balance with nature. Its documentary heritage includes four entries on the Memory of the World International Register and nine on the Asia-Pacific Regional Register, preserving access to its collective memory. Together, these designations make Viet Nam a valuable partner in developing tourism that supports communities, protects destinations and strengthens the transmission of heritage.