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The European project SmartCulTour organizes an international workshop in Madrid on cultural tourism
CIHEAM > AGENDAS > The European project SmartCulTour organizes an international workshop in Madrid on cultural tourism
  • Representatives from UNESCO, ICOMOS and the European Commission will participate in the workshop to be held on 18 April at the European Parliament Office in Spain.

  • The experts will address the value of culture in the sustainable tourism offer. Cultural tourism is estimated at 40 % of the total tourism offer in Europe.

Four out of every ten European tourists choose their destination according to its cultural offer. In order to address the value of culture in the tourism sector and its role as a driver of sustainable development, the European project SmartCulTour is organizing an international workshop on cultural tourism on 18 April in Madrid that will bring together world experts and representatives of 6 European projects currently working on this issue.

The workshop will also mark the International Day for Monuments and Sites celebrated every 18 April to highlight the diversity of cultural heritage of humanity, its vulnerability and the efforts required to protect and conserve it.

CIHEAM Zaragoza, an intergovernmental organization promoting sustainable development in rural areas, is one of the 9 partners from 8 European countries (Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Finland, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain) that are working in the SmartCulTour project. The project, which is funded through the EU Horizon 2020 programme, has set up 6 Living Labs to boost the sustainable development of cultural tourism; one of which is located in Huesca. The project will conclude in June 2023.

 Alquézar (Huesca). Photo credit: SmartCulTour project

Divided in three sessions, the  SmartCulTour conference in Madrid will bring together representatives of international bodies such as UNESCO, ICOMOS (International Council of Monuments and Sites) or the European Commission, who will address the current status and future prospects of cultural tourism in their presentations. The workshop will also include two round tables where different case studies will be discussed, together with cultural tourism promotion activities based on the experience of 6 European projects currently working on this issue.

The event will be inaugurated by Juergen Foecking, responsible for Public and Institutional Relations at the European Parliament's office in Spain, and Raúl Compés, director of CIHEAM Zaragoza. SmartCulTour will be represented by Alun Jones, head of the Projects Unit of CIHEAM Zaragoza, and Fernando Blasco, representative of the Huesca Living Lab and manager of TuHuesca.

  • DATE: Tuesday 18 April 2023
  • TIME: 08:30 – 14:00 h
  • VENUE: Sala Europa. Office of the European Parliament in Madrid (Castellana, 46)
  • PROGRAMME: See the full programme of the event
  • REGISTRATION: Register on the SmartCulTour website to attend the event (smartcultour.eu)
REGISTER HERE