World Monuments Fund, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the Preservation Society of Charleston are hosting an international symposium on cruise tourism in historic port communities in Charleston, South Carolina, this February.

The symposium will examine approaches to cruise tourism in historic port communities around the world. The symposium will address the challenges of developing policies that benefit local communities by ensuring an effective balance of economic, environmental, and social concerns with the protection of heritage resources that provide distinction and attract visitors. By creating sustainable strategies for cruise industry development and management, historic port communities can encourage tourism and preserve local character. Participants from around the world are invited to attend the symposium and contribute ideas. Conference proceedings will be published and made available electronically. The symposium will be hosted in historic Charleston, which has been at the center of an ongoing debate about the impact of the cruise industry on historic ports. Concerns over the effects of increased cruise tourism led the National Trust to put Charleston on "watch status" in 2011, and the Historic District was included on the 2012 World Monuments Watch to highlight these concerns and prompt discourse about how best to balance heritage management and cruise ship tourism.

Conference Details
The conference will be held at the historic Francis Marion Hotel
The registration fee for the conference is $350  
Current members of the Preservation Society of Charleston, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and students will be eligible for a discounted registration fee of $300. Registration includes: Wednesday evening reception; breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Thursday; and breakfast on Friday.

Registration

Please visit PreservationSociety.org or call 843-722-4630 to register and for updated information on speakers and schedules.