Project
The Living Heritage Journeys project explores and develops innovative methods to incorporate Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) into Cultural Heritage Tourism (CHT) experiences in sustainable and meaningful ways.
This project is a multi-country initiative supported via the Creative Europe Programme, aiming to contribute to a more sustainable future in Europe by promoting co-creation among diverse partners from five EU countries.
Through these collaborations, the project seeks to empower various target groups and audiences (living heritage practitioners and communities, heritage workers, tourism professionals, and others) to develop tourism experiences that safeguard living heritage, fostering a deeper appreciation of cultural heritage.
Project goal
The primary goal of Living Heritage Journeys is:
- to seek innovative processes, methods, and tools
- to incorporate ICH into sustainable and meaningful tourism experiences
- through co-creation and synergy among various transnational partners and target groups.
The project aims:
- to translate these findings into guidelines and training materials, enabling smaller practices
- to benefit from sustainable cultural heritage tourism’s cultural, social, economic and safeguarding benefits
Project rationale
The rationale behind Living Heritage Journeys is based on a combination of practical insights, applied research, and European policy objectives.
It acknowledges that while heritage tourism often focuses on tangible heritage, integrating ICH can significantly enhance cultural and socio-economic benefits. The project consortium, comprising partners from Belgium, Croatia, Italy, Poland, and Sweden, will explore ways to incorporate ICH into tourism through co-creation, creativity, and innovation.
Methodology
Pilot Cases
Each consortium member country will develop pilot cases based on selected living heritage practices. These pilots will test creative methodologies, tools, and approaches to integrating ICH into tourism, focusing on sustainable development.
Co-Creation and Synergies
The project fosters synergies among heritage communities, tourism stakeholders and cultural partners, aiming to bridge the gap between living heritage and tourism. This approach promotes innovative and well-contextualised cultural heritage tourism experiences.
Training and Capacity Building
Living Heritage Journeys will generate training materials, online resource toolkits, and workshops to empower various target groups to create sustainable tourism experiences. This knowledge-sharing approach aims to create a "multiplier effect," where those who acquire skills can pass them on to others.
Overall objectives
Overall, Living Heritage Journeys seeks to drive positive change through cultural heritage, creating sustainable, well-contextualised tourism experiences that benefit both visitors ànd local communities. Thus, it also advances the broader goals of sustainability in Europe.
Thus, the project contributes to:
Creative Europe’s objectives
Living Heritage Journeys contributes to Creative Europe's Objective 2:Innovation, by promoting innovative approaches to cultural heritage tourism that incorporate ICH while fostering co-creation among diverse target groups. The project addresses sector-specific priorities of sustainable cultural heritage tourism by fostering industry talents, encouraging entrepreneurial development, and promoting digital and green transitions.
Sustainable Cultural Heritage
The project aligns with European policies and declarations supporting sustainability, including the European Green Deal, aiming for climate neutrality by 2050, and various policies on social and economic sustainability. It underscores cultural heritage's role in promoting sustainability and its significance as a vehicle for positive change.
Sustainable Development Goals
Living Heritage Journeys contributes to several UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as reducing poverty, fostering climate action, promoting decent work and economic growth, reducing inequalities, and fostering partnerships for the goals.
The UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003)
The project aligns with the UNESCO 2003 Convention and its Operational Directives (OD187), linking inclusive economic development with ICH, tourism and the SDGs. It emphasises the need for tourism activities to respect the safeguarding of ICH and the wishes and needs of host communities; and it develops measures to balance the interests of tourism businesses, governments and cultural practitioners to ensure the viability, cultural meanings, social functions and sustainability of ICH.
Cultural Heritage Tourism
The project aims to enhance the integration of living heritage into Cultural Heritage Tourism to foster knowledge exchange, education, and cultural appreciation. It seeks to leverage tourism's economic, social, and cultural benefits while ensuring the sustainable safeguarding of heritage.