​
Call for Presenters

The 14th Conference for Cultural Tourism in Europe will be held in Athens, Greece, on 20-23 October 2021,
with overall theme:
​
Regenerating European Tourism through Culture, Heritage and Creativity


​​The 14th ECTN conference with main theme 'Regenerating European Tourism through Culture, Heritage and Creativity' will discuss the latest trends in the field of culture, heritage and sustainable tourism, including innovation, digitalisation, creativity and cultural tourism product development. The emphasis will be on the important role of culture, heritage and creativity in regenerating the European tourism, following the pandemic crisis in 2020 and 2021. It is aimed to have a real event in Athens, but depending on the situation if necessary there may be a hybrid event with limited physical presence in Athens and digital streaming facilities for online participation.
 
The conference aims to explore major challenges, risks and opportunities for sustainable and responsible tourism development related to culture and heritage assets, as well as suggest practical steps for the development and promotion of cultural tourism products. The theme encompasses all forms of culture, including contemporary cultural expressions and all forms of cultural heritage, as well as natural heritage.
 
Presenters are invited to showcase relevant experience, share their best practices, give detailed examples and provide practical recommendations to preserving, restoring, deploying and promoting culture and heritage values, with innovations for sustainable and responsible tourism development. The regeneration of European tourism sector is of particular interest in the 2021 Conference.
  
The conference is organised in close cooperation with ECTN members.

The submitted Abstracts should address at least one of the following topics linked to cultural and heritage tourism:

  1. Archaeological Sites and Museums as Cultural Tourism Attractions, supported by the European Association of Archaeologists (EAA)
  2. Walking Tourism and Slow Travel – Synergies with Cultural Tourism, supported by Via Francigena Cultural Route of the Council of Europe
  3. Digitalisation in Sustainable Cultural Tourism, towards Smart Destinations
  4. Transnational Thematic Tourism Products, including European Cultural Routes
  5. Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs) contribution to Cultural and Creative Tourism development, in the framework of the ‘International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development 2021’ and Interreg Europe Cult-CreaTE project, supported by the ‘Creative Tourism Network’
  6. Railway Heritage Assets for Cultural Tourism, in the framework of the ‘European Year of Rail 2021’, supported by FEDECRAIL - the European Federation of Museum and Tourist Railways and by E-FAITH - the European Federation of Associations of Industrial and Technical Heritage.
​
 ​Submission deadline: 31 May 2021 (online).
 
Other Information:
  • There will be no delegate fees for selected presenters attending the Conference (one person per selected presentation)
  • Participants, including selected presenters will have to make their own arrangements for travel and accommodation. ECTN cannot cover travel expenses.
  • Abstracts and presentations accepted by the Programme Committee of the Conference  may be published online with author's approval.
  • A post-conference study tour in Athens is being planned and selected presenters will be invited.
  • The Awards ceremony of the ECTN prize for ‘Destination of Sustainable Cultural Tourism 2021’ will take place in conjunction the Conference. The 2021 ECTN Awards are in partnership with Europa Nostra, the European Travel Commission and NECSTouR, supported by Via Francigena Cultural Route of the Council of Europe and the Creative Tourism Network for specific categories.
 
Contacts

e-mail:  conference@culturaltourism-net.eu
​
 
Programme Committee

  • Manos Vougioukas, Chair (ECTN Secretary-General) 
  • Nasos Hadjigeorgiou, Pafos Regional Board of Tourism, Cyprus (ECTN President)
  • Simina Manea, Sibiu County Tourism Association, Executive Director, Romania (ECTN Vice-President)
  • Raitis Sijats, Vidzeme Tourism Association, Latvia (ECTN Immediate Past President)
  • Trinidad Manrique De Lara Vilchez, Diputacion de Granada, Spain (ECTN Board member)
  • Carla Gomes, Intermunicipal Community of Alto Minho, Portugal (ECTN Board member)
  • Ema Aničić, City of Krk, Croatia (ECTN Board member)
  • Jordi Tresserras, LABPATC, University of Barcelona, Spain (ECTN Board member)
  • Victor Timotin, General Director of NIRDT, Romania
  • Ivana Golob, University of Rijeka, Centre for Industrial Heritage, Croatia
  • Kazimierz Waluch, Warsaw Institute of Tourism, Poland
  • Bosse Lagerqvist, University of Gothenberg, Sweden
  • ​Goreti Silva, Institute Polytechnic of Viana do Castelo, Portugal
  • Agita Livina, Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences, Latvia
  • Prof Sandra Janković, University of Rijeka, Croatia​
  • Dr Alenka Šuljić Petrc, University of Rijeka, Croatia
ABSTRACT DETAILS

  • The Conference language will be in English
  • Official language for Abstracts: English
  • Abstracts are to be submitted online (maximum 500 words) 
  • All abstracts will be judged by the Conference Programme Committee
  • Selected Abstracts (title or presentation, author, organisation) will be included in the Conference Programme
  • Presentations (maximum 20 slides) including video (2 – 3 minutes) are encouraged (15 minutes maximum).


IMPORTANT DATES
 
Closing date for submission of Abstract:     31 May 2021
Submission approval:                                       15 July 2021
Presentation submission:                                30 September 2021
The Conference:                                                21-22 October 2021

There may be pre-Conference and post-Conference study visits on 20 and 23 October 2021.

ECTN cannot cover travel expenses for selected presenters, but delegate fees will be waived for one person per presentation.
​ECTN members have 2 free places.

ECTN is not responsible for arranging visas for delegates or journalists to attend the Conference.