Circular cultural tourism in BeCULTOUR project defines a sustainable and regenerative cultural tourism model that aims to foster sustainable and equitable regional development implementing a “human-centred” circular economy model through the enhancement of abandoned, underused and less-known cultural and natural resources, enhancement of human capital and human rights, reduction of tourism pressure on over-exploited territories, reduction of wastes and natural resources consumption (energy, water, soil, biodiversity), increase of clean energy and green transport means, recycling and reuse of materials and products, and enhancement of locally based food and craft productions – finally empowering local communities, enhancing ecosystems, enhancing local identity, wellbeing, health and cultural diversity, and enhancing local entrepreneurial innovation ecosystems through cultural tourism.

Meet Destination Makers - Harnessing the potential of circular cultural tourism through targeted branding strategies

Destination Makers is a boutique consulting company active since 2014 with the aim to enhance, promote and motivate destinations through shared paths with local communities and according to the latest market trends, with the aim of generating a real impact on territories.

E• Enhancing and promoting historic and archaeological heritage through the Piast Route - The strategy of Wielkopolska

Photo by Grzegorz Paluch

The Regional DMO clusters local governments, organisations, hotels, tour operators, universities and other partners. Its main focuses are supporting tourism development and promoting the region as an attractive tourist destination. The Regional DMO is a key partner in developing the region’s core cultural tourism product: the Piast Route.

What is Be.CULTOUR for you?

From spiritual itinerary to cultural route for slow tourism - How Sviluppumbria is making the region a green destination

Photo copyright Fabrizio Ardito/Sviluppumbria

Sviluppumbria is the Regional Development Agency of Umbria and is the in-house supporting the Regional Government on policies relating to SMEs creation and boost, internationalisation, EU cooperation, innovation and Tourism.

What is Be.CULTOUR for you?

Placing people at the center of sustainable tourism practices - The model of Sciacca's Widespread Museum

Museo Diffuso dei 5 Sensi Sciacca Cooperativa di Comunità Identità e Bellezza is an inclusive and bottom-up tourism innovation project managed by a community no-profit cooperative, which has become a community network with more than 55 engagement agreements.

What is Be.CULTOUR for you?

Protecting environment and reinvigorating local communities - Savonlinna circular cultural tourism strategy

Savonlinna is a city in Eastern Finland on Lake Saimaa – the second largest lake in the EU and famous for the international Savonlinna Opera Festival. Savonlinna Development Services Ltd. (SDS) is a development agency owned 100% by the city of Savonlinna and is carrying out project activities with over 15 years of experience on the European level.

Towards sustainable tourism in Llŷn Peninsula - The Ecomuseum project by Gwynedd

Gwynedd County Council is a Local Authority in the northwest of Wales. Tourism is an important economic activity within Gwynedd.

What is Be.CULTOUR for you?

For Cyngor Gwynedd being part of the Be.CULTOUR Community means that we can collaborate with other regions all over Europe to develop a sustainable tourism model for our communities.

What is the greatest challenge that you are facing in tourism?

Be.CULTOUR Policy Learning Lab

Be.CULTOUR Mirror regions and Pilot Heritage Sites met in Brussels on the 9th September 2022 to discuss challenges and opportunities for circular cultural tourism in the post-pandemic era, bringing in their local experience and perspectives. The meeting kicked off with the presentations from Be.CULTOUR advisors: Historic Environment Scotland, Future for Religious Heritage and CREATOUR, followed by a more technical point of you provided by Destination Makers, supporting touristic destinations, well-known and remote ones, to improve their marketing strategies, build sustainable action plans and narratives around their local territories. The plenary was followed by 2 working sessions in which participants were assigned a specific challenge a divided into 6 groups to brainstorm and pave the way to related policy recommendations.

Valuing Cultural Capital: Accounting for the Hidden Value of Heritage

On 14-16th September, ICCROM organized the initiative “Valuing Cultural Capital: Accounting for the Hidden Value of Heritage”, with the aim of investigating how current evaluation methods can be improved to assess the hidden value of cultural assets and their social benefits, in terms of human and environmental as well as economic well-being. The need of a new ‘well-being approach’ to the heritage that builds on values-based and people-centred approaches, as highlighted also by the Be.CULTOUR project emerged both for assessing the value of heritage in a multidimensional way, supporting public policy decisions and favouring more inclusive and bottom-up initiatives.

Be.CULTOUR polyphony on circular cultural tourism

What does circular sustainable tourism mean to you?

“A tourism model that respects and takes into account the local economy, respects, promotes and valorises the natural environment and the local culture.”

  • Pauline Alexopoulou, Larnaca and Famagusta Districts Development Agency - Cyprus Pilot Heritage Site

What idea developed during the Be.CULTOUR project are you excited about?

The Be.CULTOUR hackathon

Be.CULTOUR hackathon took place between 7-9 September 2022 at ICHEC Brussels Management School. During intensive 3 days, 76 innovators working in 19 teams co-developed their projects as follows: Day1: Understand their Be.CULTOUR Pilot Heritage Site challenges and needs, map the context, and the value chain and empathise with stakeholders. Day2: Co-develop team inspiration, ideate, prototype & test. Day3: Co-prototype the feasibility & viability of their innovative circular cultural tourism 19 videos were shot by the ICHEC communications department & made available by ERRIN at https://becultour.eu/hackathon for a public vote online. In two hours, 2083 votes have been cast! In tandem, 5 parallel juries took place at ICHEC during which each team had the opportunity to pitch its project to high-level expert jurors https://becultour.eu/meet-jury.
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