Deadline extended to 16 June 2023
Sustainable Cultural Tourism is the integrated management of cultural heritage and tourism activities in conjunction with the local community, creating social, environmental and economic benefits for all stakeholders in order to achieve tangible and intangible cultural heritage conservation and sustainable tourism development. (European Commission DG EAC, OMC Report 2019).

Sustainable Tourism is tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities. (UNWTO).
ECTN an affiliate member of UNWTO

In the framework of the 118th session of the UNWTO Executive Council in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, on 16-18 May 2023, the new candidatures for the UNWTO Affiliate Membership have been approved.

European Cultural Tourism Network (ECTN) is amongst 16 new entities that joined the Affiliate Membership, adding a wide range of profiles with different backgrounds.

We are looking forward to working together to build a more accessible, responsible and sustainable tourism industry.
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                                                                                         17 April 2023

ECTN has joined the Climate Heritage Network (CHN) following the approval of its membership application by the Network’s international Steering Committee on 14 April. 

The CHN aims to unlock culture’s potential by connecting cultural voices to each other and to partners across diverse artistic mediums, regional scales, and economic sectors. 

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​ECTN's role in the CHN is to highlight the sustainable cultural tourism aspects of climate change and climate action.

The Climate Heritage Network is a global network whose members are committed to mobilising arts, culture and heritage to address climate change and support communities in achieving the ambitions of the Paris Agreement. Launched in 2019, the CHN seeks to scale up culture-based climate action and to foreground the cultural dimensions of climate policy through coordination and cooperation among its members.
 
CHN members work with all types of culture including arts and music; museums and libraries; landscapes, heritage sites and archaeology; and intangible heritage. CHN members include government at all levels, civil society, universities, cultural institutions, artists and creative industries.
ECTN 2023 Conference Call for presenters launched!
Topics:

  1. Digitalisation advances and digital transition in Sustainable Cultural Tourism, including Smart Tourism and Smart Destinations initiatives closely involving culture and heritage.
  2. History and Heritage: ancestry and heritage-related experiences in connection with historic places and events (places of memory, contemplation and commemoration), which exerted an influence in history.
  3. Riverside heritage: sites and territories that have valorised a strong relation with their river through activities and experiences that both take the economic and social role of fluvial culture and heritage in tourism actions.
  4. Transnational Thematic Tourism Products, on culture and heritage, including those related to European Cultural Routes, European Heritage Label and/or cross-border cultural tourism initiatives (involving at least two European countries, not necessarily neighbouring).
  5. Religious, Pilgrimage and Spiritual Tourism: places of worship, travel for religious or spiritual purposes, walking tourism, visiting religious monuments, festivals and artefacts.
  6. Traditional Skills, Crafts and Creativity in Smart and Sustainable Cultural and Creative Tourism activities (add-on to the European Year of Skills 2023).
  7. Smart and Sustainable Tourism at UNESCO World Heritage Sites and UNESCO Geoparks.
  8. ​Legacy of European Capitals of Culture for Smart and Sustainable Cultural Tourism advances.
  9. Smart and Sustainable Cultural Tourism Synergies with the EU 'Transition Pathway for Tourism' and co-implementation  prospects.

Abstract submission till 16 June 2023
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ECTN supports the:

“International Conference  on Cultural Tourism Advances”

​27-28th June 2023

Venue: KU Leuven, Brussels Campus, Odisee Building, Warmoesberg 26, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
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                                                                                        3 March 2023

Inauguration of Pafos as 'European Capital of Smart Tourism 2023'

Phedon Phedonos, Mayor of Pafos Region, officially unveiled the city’s brand new hashtag sculpture, marking #Pafos’ year as #EUTourismCapital.
Representatives of the European Commission DG GROW handed over the award to the Mayor of Pafos and to Pafos Regional Board of Tourism, current ECTN Presidency.
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                                                                                            1 March 2023  

​ECTN Awards 2023 Call for entries launched !

The 10th edition of the ECTN Awards 'Destination of Sustainable Cultural Tourism' has been launched with submission of applications by candidates by 1 June.

For the 6th year in a row, the ECTN Awards are in partnership with Europa Nostra, European Travel Commission and NECSTouR. The 2023 Awards are in the framework of 'Pafos 2023 European Capital of Smart Tourism' and the ReInHerit Horizon 2020 Coordination and Support Action (CSA).
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More details about application procedure can be found here                                                                                            
The ECTN Awards were firstly launched in 2014 as part of the CHARTS INTERREG IVC project, with several themes of good practices. The Awards continued in 2015 with theme of Industrial Heritage (in the framework of 2015 Industrial Heritage Year), in 2016 with theme Intangible Heritage (in the framework of CHRISTA Interreg Europe project), in 2017 with theme Heritage Interpretation (also in the framework of CHRISTA Interreg Europe project). In 2018 European Year of Cultural Heritage the Awards were in partnership with Europa Nostra and European Travel Commission. This was continued in 2019-2022 also with NECSTouR, supported by several other ECTN EU projects (Cult-RInG and Cult-CreaTE Interreg Europe, Foodbiz Erasmus+) and European associations (Interpret Europe, European Association of Archaeologists, E-FAITH, FEDECRAIL, Phoenicians, Iter Vitis and Via Francigena Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe).
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​The Award 2023 Categories are:

  1. Digitalisation advances and digital transition in Sustainable Cultural Tourism, including Smart Tourism and Smart Destinations initiatives closely involving culture and heritage.
  2. History and Heritage: ancestry and heritage-related experiences in connection with historic places and events (places of memory, contemplation and commemoration), which exerted an influence in history.
  3. Riverside heritage: sites and territories that have valorised a strong relation with their river through activities and experiences that both take the economic and social role of fluvial culture and heritage in tourism actions.
  4. Transnational Thematic Tourism Products, on culture and heritage, including those related to European Cultural Routes, European Heritage Label and/or cross-border cultural tourism initiatives (involving at least two European countries, not necessarily neighbouring).
  5. Religious, Pilgrimage and Spiritual Tourism: places of worship, travel for religious or spiritual purposes, walking tourism, visiting religious monuments, festivals and artefacts.
  6. Traditional Skills, Crafts and Creativity in Smart and Sustainable Cultural and Creative Tourism activities (add-on to the European Year of Skills 2023).
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ECTN Awards 2022 Winners and Runners-up ​
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ECTN supports the #Tourism4Recovery campaign and the 
​‘Call for Action: Accelerate Social and Economic Recovery by Investing in Sustainable Tourism Development’
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ECTN welcomes the new guidelines on responsible restart of cultural tourism by UNWTO in collaboration with UNESCO

News Release      Guidelines
ECTN a member of the Stakeholders Commitee for the EUROPEAN YEAR OF CULTURAL HERITAGE 2018, selected by the European Commission DG Education & Culture (EAC)
ECTN is the only member of the EYCH 2018 Stakeholders Committee with a tourism mandate
​ECTN is a member of the:
ECTN is a signatory of the:
ECTN Projects:
ECTN supports:
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