Advisory partner ECTN is selected by the European Commission as a key stakeholder for the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018
The European Cultural Tourism Network (ECTN), advisory partner in the CHRISTA project, has been selected by the European Commission Directorate-General for Education and Culture (DG EAC) as a member of the ‘stakeholders committee for the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018’ (EYCH2018). The selection by DG EAC followed a special call of the ‘Voices of Culture and Heritage’ in which 310 applications have been submitted and 35 stakeholder bodies have been selected, including ECTN. Other stakeholders include Europa Nostra and 16 members of the ‘European Heritage Alliance 3.3’. ECTN is the only selected stakeholder with a specific role on tourism, particularly on sustainable cultural tourism which is a target of the EYCH2018.
The first meeting of the EYCH2018 stakeholders committee was held in Brussels on 28 April with the participation of ECTN. The key objectives, implementation, EU initiatives and funding issues were presented by policy officers of DG EAC and exchange of views followed, with comments and suggestions on outcomes to be achieved by the EYCH, key messages and target audiences, promotion of the Year and its activities and communicating with potential audiences. The meeting closed with ideas for cooperation with the Commission and the EY National Coordinators, as well as cooperation among the cultural heritage stakeholders.
According to DG EAC, the EY will:
Promote cultural heritage as a pivotal component of cultural diversity and inter-cultural dialogue
Highlight the best means to ensure conservation, safeguarding of cultural heritage and enjoyment by a wider and more diverse audience
Promote cultural heritage's contribution to the economy
Promote cultural heritage as an important element of the relations between the EU and third countries.
All of the above have a strong link with sustainable cultural tourism.
There will be 10 initiatives under 4 objectives, viz:
Cherishing heritage: developing quality standards for interventions in the historic environment and at heritage sites
Heritage at risk: fighting against illicit trade in cultural goods and managing risks at heritage sites
Shared heritage: bringing Europe's cultural heritage, history and shared values closer to people
Heritage at school: discovering Europe's treasures at an early age
Youth for heritage: engaging the younger generation
New uses for heritage: re-imagining industrial, religious or military sites
Tourism and heritage: promoting sustainable cultural tourism
Heritage-related skills: enhancing education and training for the traditional and new professions
Heritage for all: fostering participation and social innovation
Science for heritage: using research, innovation, science and technology for a better conservation and presentation of heritage
ECTN has a clear role on the Tourism and heritage initiative, in promoting sustainable cultural tourism, both in the member regions and at pan-European level, and is ready and willing to lead on this initiative during EYCH 2018. ECTN can provide also key inputs to:
Heritage for all and Shared heritage in terms of accessibility linked to heritage for cultural tourism (both physical and intellectual accessibility)
Heritage at risk in terms of climate change mitigation and adaptation measures, and
Cherishing heritage in terms of quality schemes for heritage sites
New uses for heritage in terms of industrial heritage and religious/pilgrimage tourism.
According to the above, ECTN can contribute to all of the above initiatives, which are also reflected in the ‘Charter for Sustainable Cultural Tourism’ promoted by ECTN. This contribution was stated by ECTN at the stakeholders committee meeting in Brussels and was welcomed by DG EAC officers and other stakeholders.
There will be two further meetings to discuss further details about the action plan and ECTN will play an important role in securing the cultural tourism aspects of EYCH 2018 for its members and at pan-European level.
CHRISTA Project has several synergies with EYCH 2018 and these will be exploited further by ECTN as both advisory partner and member of the EYCH Stakeholders Committee. It is envisaged that all CHRISTA project events in 2018 will be held in the frame of EYCH.
