The WHACY project aims to raise awareness of World Heritage Sites (WHS) among African youth through an online game. It was developed by Prof. Cantoni's research team at USI Lugano in collaboration with partners including Hospitality Youth Initiative and RETOSA. The game will have three rounds, with the top 20 students in Round 2 invited to a workshop in Johannesburg. It aims to educate students about the 38 WHS in the Southern African region and promote sustainable tourism. Funding was obtained from the International Assistance Foundation, and schools will pay a small fee for their students to participate in Round 2. The overarching goals are to increase awareness of cultural and natural heritage, provide informal education on WHS

1. WHACY PROJECT
World Heritage Awareness Campaign for Youth
Game-Like Online Tool
www.whacy.org

2. OVERVIEW
 Origin and background of the project
 Partners and Collaborator
 Audience and goals
 WHACY structure and process
 Prizes
 Funding
2

3. ORIGIN OF THE PROJECT
 Prof. Cantoni and his research team has successfully collaborated with HYI in the
past, more specifically in designing the “Waiter game”, an online tool to train youth to
work in the hospitality industry
 It was agreed that an awareness campaign amongst the African youth was needed to
promote the sustainability of tourism in UNESCO’s recognized Word Heritage Sites
(WHSs)
3
 In September 2013 UNESCO has established a UNESCO Chair in ICT to develop and
promote sustainable tourism in World Heritage Sites at Università della Svizzera italiana
(USI Lugano, Switzerland)
 Chair-holder was appointed Prof. Lorenzo Cantoni, PhD
 The mandate has been supported by Hospitality Youth Initiative as well as by a
number of international partners
Thus, the World Heritage Awareness Campaign for the Youth (WHACY) was born 
A game-like online tool

4. BACKGROUND - SADC
Southern African Development Community is economically and geographically
important region located in Southern Africa and includes 15 countries
Angola Botswana DRC Lesotho Madagascar
Malawi Mauritius Mozambique Namibia Seychelles
South Africa Swaziland Tanzania Zambia Zimbabwe
4

5. BACKGROUND – UNESCO WHS
 The UNESCO World Heritage Centre Convention defines
Heritage is “our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what
we pass on to future generations”
 Each country has the responsibility to manage its own WHSs, but the World
Heritage Centre also emphasizes the concept of universality, meaning that this
heritage is of relevance for the international community independently of the
territory where it is located
 Tourism is an important part of this international “ownership” of the
heritage. The sites must be preserved for future generations while providing
access to visitors at the same time
 Digital technologies (ICT) can play a very significant role in developing and
promoting sustainable tourism in World Heritage Sites
5

6. WORLD HERITAGE SITES in SADC
SADC region hosts 38 World Heritage Sites, which are:
16 Cultural, 19 Natural, 2 Mixed
 2 Transboundary
 5 in Danger
6
Cultural: Tsodilo, Botswana Natural: Namib Sand Sea, Namibia Mixed: Ngorongoro in Tanzania
Transboundary: Victoria Falls between Zambia & Zimbabwe In Danger: Virunga National Park, DRC

7. MAIN PARTNERS
COLLABORATOR
7
In October 2013
Collaboration agreement
was signed between
Hospitality Youth
Initiative and RETOSA

8. PARTIES INVOLVED
UNESCO Chair in ICT
Switzerland
Chair-holder Prof. Cantoni
PhD researcher
Master student assistant
Senior technician
Support of 24 Masters students as
part of their course work
Hospitality Youth Initiative
South Africa
8
 Awareness Project Director,
Duncan Peltason
 Education Director, Sue Place
 Schools Liason, Derik Moll
 Education Committee
• Prof Gary Baines
• Heather Prinsloo
• Thantshi Masatara

9. AUDIENCE & GOALS
Audience
 Students grades 10-12 from
schools based in SADC
 Registered schools will put
forward the number of their
students, who wish to
participate in the game
 Schools with computer
and Internet facilities
will be encouraged to twin
with less privileged schools
in order to make the game
available to students who
might not have access to the
Internet
Goals
Awareness raising
«our cultural and natural
environment is recognised at the
international level»
Informal education
«this is the nature/story of the WHS»
Empowerment
«thanks to our WHSs and through
sustainable tourism we can promote
development and meaningful
international encounters»
9

10. GAME STRUCTURE AND PROCESS
10
 ROUND 1
• Pre-studying on UNESCO
and WHSs using online
materials/sources
• Players answer to
questions about 4 WHSs at
their choice, UNESCO,
sustainable tourism, and ICTs
using online game
• Best players are invited to
the second round
 ROUND 2
• Questions on all 38 WHSs in
SADC, UNESCO, sustainable
tourism, and ICTs within a
limited time frame
 ROUND 3
• Top 20 players invited to a residential
workshop in Johannesburg, South
Africa
• Participants will develop projects on
selected WHSs and discuss with respective
Ministers of tourism
 PRE-START
• Promotion at schools
• Facebook photo contest

11. GAME CALENDAR
Rounds When
Round 1 May 15- August 25, 2014
Round 2 September 1-21, 2014
Round 3 October 13-17, 2014
11

12. PRIZES
Winners will be rewarded with a variety of “prizes”
 University courses
 Travel
 Opportunity to become the Junior Tourism
Ambassadors for their countries
12

13. FUNDING
 Funding to get the project started was acquired through the
International Assistance Foundation based in Lugano
(Switzerland)
 In the Round 2 schools will pay a symbolic fee of
USD 0.50 cents per pupil
 This fund will be used towards sustainability of the project
13

14. THANK YOU FOR YOUR
INTEREST!
We welcome your school and students
to participate in WHACY Game!
For more information, please contact us:
info@whacy.org
14