On 23 July 2020, the Policy Learning Platform organised an online meeting for local and regional policymakers with the objective to explore the synergies between sustainable tourism and CCIs and to trigger the exchange of good practices from different EU regions how to best support these sectors in the context of the Covid-19 crisis.
Setting the scene for the discussion of local and regional solutions, Mr. Maciej Hofman from the European Commission (DG Education, Youth, Sport and Culture) gave an overview of the measures taken on European level as a response to the crisis. In particular, he put spotlight on the variety of European funding instruments which CCI actors are invited to consider when tackling the challenges posed by the crisis.
Collaboration between different stakeholders becomes even more important in times of crisis
Looking at the negative effects of event cancellations on tourism and societal well-being, Ms. Mariann Szabo from Interreg Europe Local Fravours project emphasised the value of stakeholder partnerships, in particular joint activities between entrepreneurs, public bodies, cultural partners, and the business community. For instance, den Bosch Summer (Netherlands) focuses on small-scale activities and events that bring benefits for all residents and entrepreneurs. In Waterford (Ireland) the emphasis is on creating new journeys (e.g. developing local food touring route and coastal cliff walk route, organising Irish culture workshops) in rural areas and thus raising awareness about lesser-known territories. Moreover, Ms. Szabo gave an outlook on trends for the post-pandemic period, with the expectation to see slow tourism combined with a quest for authenticity on the rise.
Presentation
Dr. Mariann Szabó, Thematic expert, Local Flavours project - presentation
More details: https://www.interregeurope.eu/policylearning/news/9407/tourism-and-cultural-and-creative-industries-in-the-post-covid-19-period/policylearning/news/9407/tourism-and-cultural-and-creative-industries-in-the-post-covid-19-period/
Image credit: Photo by daniyal ghanavati from Pexels
