The 74,000 hectare Wadi Rum Protected Area in Jordan has been named to Unesco’s World Heritage List.

The area is a popular destination for guests of Four Seasons Hotel Amman, who are enchanted by its desert landscape, narrow gorges, natural arches, towering cliffs and hidden caverns that reveal petroglyphs, thousands of inscriptions and archaeological remains of cultures going back 12,000 years, a statement said.

The Baa Atoll, home to Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru, has also been named a World Biosphere Reserve by Unesco.

“Our team of biologists and staff have been working closely with the Maldivian government to preserve the delicate environment of the Baa Atoll through programs such as coral propagation, the Manta Ray Project, sea turtle protection and our Marine Discovery Centre,” said Armando Kraenzlin, regional vice president and general manager of the resort.

“Now the world will know what our guests already appreciate - that this area is environmentally unique and fascinating.”

Also new to the World Heritage List is the West Lake Cultural Landscape of Hangzhou, home to the new Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou at West Lake.

The area, which includes the lake’s surrounding hills, has inspired poets, scholars, artists and even Marco Polo since the ninth century with its beautiful landscape, historic temples and pagodas, extensive gardens and its centuries-old man-made causeways and islands, the statement said.

“From the first glimpse of West Lake, it’s clear that this is a very special place. Our Hotel is tucked away in one of the West Lake’s prettiest lagoons, set among acres of landscaped gardens inspired by the local aesthetic,” said Rudolf van Dijk, general manager of the hotel.

“The opportunity to help people from across China and around the world discover this astounding area is a matter of pride and joy for our staff,” he added. – TradeArabia News Service