Sustainable Cultural Tourism development and promotion across Europe

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 Workshop at European Week of Regions and Cities

Relaunching European Sustainable Tourism
through Cultural Heritage Cooperation and Digitalisation

Online, 13 October 2022, 11:30 Brussels time

including ECTN projects: ReInHerit Horizon2020, Cult-CreaTE Interreg Europe, CHRISTA Interreg Europe

ECTN welcomes and supports the

World Tourism Day 2022:

RETHINKING TOURISM

ECTN welcomes and supports the 11th Cultural Routes Forum !

ECTN welcomes the publication 'Transition pathway for tourism' *

The aim of this report is to describe the measures and outputs needed to accelerate the green and digital transitions and improve the resilience of the tourism ecosystem. The objective is to encourage and invite all groups and stakeholders in the tourism ecosystem to engage and play their part in the initiative. The work to prepare the pathway has followed a collaborative approach involving all stakeholder groups. Similar active and productive collaboration should support also the way forward. Following the publication of this report, the Commission will invite tourism stakeholders to present their commitments to the transition pathway for tourism, and it will establish collaboration processes for the co-implementation and monitoring of the work. The follow-up of the transition pathway will be facilitated by an online stakeholder collaboration platform, which is to be established by end of 2022. The report includes several references in relation to cultural heritage tourism.

In particular, ECTN welcomes the several and highly relevant references on:

cultural heritage and the potential to give customers unique and authentic experiences
cultural and creative industries in their key role in the tourism ecosystem
innovative tourism based on cultural heritage, traditions, arts and authentic cultural experiences
cultural and active tourism experiences for visitors
virtual and augmented reality services provide new ways to help preserve natural and cultural resources at risk, while enabling real-like visitor experiences
linking with the objectives of European data space for cultural heritage to digitise cultural heritage assets, R&I in this area could provide new innovative, sustainable and accessible forms of tourism services
innovative tourism services using advanced technologies (virtual reality, augmented reality, AI) and digitized cultural heritage
use of cultural centres such as museums, theatres, libraries and archaeological sites, together with the integration of European and regional tourism policies, UNESCO sites, archaeological, marine and natural parks, villages and spa tourism, will be fundamental to increase the attractiveness of tourism
develop and implement smart and sustainable tourism strategies at the right level in order to emphasise local identity specialities by encouraging the promotion and quality craftsmanship, especially for regions that highlight their gastronomy, local knowledge and traditions.

The above will be included in the updated ECTN Charter for Sustainable Cultural Tourism as well as in the contribution by ECTN on cultural heritage managememt guidelines in the framework of the ReInHerit Horizon2020 Coordination and Support Action. They will also be presented and discussed at the ECTN annual Conference 2022.

* European Commission, Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, Transition pathway for tourism, 2022, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2873/344425

Mr Piet Jaspaert elected as ECTN Honorary member

The ECTN General Assembly has ratified the nomination by the ECTN Board for Mr Piet Jaspaert as an honarary member of ECTN.

Mr Piet Jaspaert is a Vice-President of 'Europa Nostra' and Chair of the 'European Heritage Alliance 3.3' meetings. He has been a speaker at 5 annual ECTN Conferences since 2017 and has supported ECTN events in Brussels in 2016 and 2018 (European Week of Regions & Cities). Since 2018 he has served as Chair of the joint Jury for the ECTN Awards. He is holder of a Medal of Honour by Europa Nostra for his services to cultural heritage.

ECTN Honorary members are individuals who have particularly distinguished themselves in the field of cultural tourism and have actively contributed to ECTN activities and events. The role of Honorary members is advisory.

Mr Jaspaert joins the previous ECTN Honorary members Androula Vassiliou, former Commissioner, Adrian Linders, Secretary-General of E-FAITH and Michael Cramer, former MEP and Chair of the TRAN Committee of EP.

ECTN Awards 2021 Results Announced!

The ECTN Awards ceremony took place in Athens, Greece, on 21 October 2021,
at the 14th Conference for Cultural Tourism in Europe

ECTN supports the #Tourism4Recovery campaign and the
‘Call for Action: Accelerate Social and Economic Recovery by Investing in Sustainable Tourism Development’

ECTN welcomes the new guidelines on responsible restart of cultural tourism by UNWTO in collaboration with UNESCO

News Release Guidelines

ECTN celebrated 10 years of activities 2009 - 2019 !

ECTN was established as AISLB in Brussels on 20 May 2009. This year ECTN celebrates 10 years of continuous activities and growth, from the 6 founding members in 2009 to 29 members in 2019 and from 5 countries to 19 countries!

During its 10 years of existence, ECTN has participated in 5 EU co-funded projects (4 currently active, established by the ECTN Secretariat), organised 9 international conferences and awarded annual prizes for 'Destination of Sustainable Cultural Tourism' since 2014.

ECTN at the official opening of the 2018 EU-China Tourism Year

at the Doge's Palace, Venice

ECTN was invited by the European Commission DG GROW to to the official opening of the 2018 EU-China Tourism Year (ECTY) on Friday 19 January 2018 in Venice, at the Doge's Palace and the ECTN Secretary-General participated. The ECTY was announced jointly in July 2016 by the President of the European Commission and the Chinese Prime Minister. It aims at increasing the investment opportunities in China for European operators and boosting European growth and jobs by promoting Chinese tourism to the EU. ECTY was launched by Commissioner Bieńkowska and the Chairman of China National Tourism Administration.

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