Article by ECTN

The European Cultural Tourism Network (ECTN), a partner in the Horizon 2020 ReInHerit Coordination and Support Action (CSA), presented the ReInHerit CSA aims, approach and expected results at three relevant events in the Interreg Europe interregional cooperation programme, with significant synergies, viz:

• DESTI-SMART High-level dissemination event/Final conference on “Sustainable Tourism Mobility towards Smart Destinations”, held in Pafos, Cyprus, on 27-29 April 2022. The DESTI-SMART project (2018-2022) has focused on improving transport and tourism policies at destinations by integrating strategies for sustainable mobility, accessibility and responsible travel in sustainable tourism development, and through efficiency, resilience, intermodality, novel transport systems, cycling and walking for visitors. There are synergies regarding ReInHerit digital solutions in combining sustainable mobility and accessibility with sustainable cultural tourism towards smart destinations, especially with the planned ReInHerit Smart Tourism app and more specifically with the Smart Tourism policy guidelines to be developed by ECTN (by October 2023).

• Cult-CreaTE High-level dissemination event/Final conference on “Cultural and Creative Tourism based on CCIs for SME Competitiveness”, held in Cesis, Vidzeme, Latvia, on 23-25 May 2022. The Cult-CreaTE project (2018-2022) has deployed Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs) for the development and promotion of Cultural and Creative Tourism (CCT) strategies, towards enhancing the Competitiveness of SMEs CCIs, including digital solutions in CCT development. There are synergies regarding the ReInHerit toolkit currently under development and with the ReInHerit Smart Tourism policy guidelines to be developed by ECTN.

• CHRISTAThematic Workshop on “Digital heritage advances for cultural tourism development and promotion in the post-pandemic era”, held in Sibiu, Romania, on 15-6 June 2022. The original CHRISTA project (2016-2020) aimed at protecting and preserving European natural and cultural heritage assets and deploying them for the development and promotion of innovative, sustainable and responsible tourism strategies, including heritage interpretation and digitisation. The extended CHRISTA project (2021-2022) addresses the pandemic impacts on sustainable cultural tourism and the policies on regenerating tourism through culture and heritage. There are important synergies with the ReInHerit digital hub currently under development.

ECTN is the only pan-European network of tourism boards and associations, regional and local authorities, universities and research institutes, that brings the tourism and cultural heritage sectors to work together for sustainable cultural tourism development and promotion. ECTN has currently over 40 members in 21 countries (15 EU member states and 6 associated states). ECTN is a founding member of the ‘European Heritage Alliance 3.3’ led by Europa Nostra and a signatory of the ‘European Tourism Manifesto’, led by the European Travel Commission. The role of ECTN in the ReInHerit CSA is to offer its substantial EU network for further project scientific results, dissemination and exploitation and communication, particularly in relation to cultural heritage tourism.