Introduction to the Project

Cultural tourism entails opportunities but also risks. If not managed properly, cultural tourism can easily turn into a “value extractive” industry, generating negative environmental, social and cultural impacts on local communities and ecosystems. This project will develop specific strategies to promote an understanding of cultural tourism, which moves away from a “stop-and-go” consumer-oriented approach towards one that puts humans and circular economy models at its centre, paying attention to nature, communities and cultural diversity.

Wide and diversified partnerships of stakeholders from 18 EU and non-EU regions of Northern-Central and Southern Europe, the Balkans, the Eastern neighbourhood and the Mediterranean, will be the driving force of the project. A community of 300 innovators (which includes regional authorities and municipalities, clusters and associations, museums and tourist boards, entrepreneurs, chambers of commerce, citizens, researchers, practitioners as well as project partners) in 6 pilot regions will co-create innovative place-based solutions for human-centred and circular cultural tourism. 

ERRIN is currently building a community of passionate regional representatives committed to shaping the future of cultural tourism in their territory. The Be.CulTour community will learn about innovative approaches to regional development through circular cultural tourism. 

More information on this webpage.

Project Objectives

The overarching goal of Be.CULTOUR is to co-create and test sustainable human-centred innovations for circular cultural tourism through collaborative innovation networks/methodologies and improved investments strategies. Targeting deprived remote, peripheral or deindustrialized areas and cultural landscapes as well as over-exploited areas, local Heritage innovation networks will co-develop a long-term heritage-led development project in the areas involved enhancing inclusive economic growth, communities’ wellbeing and resilience, nature regeneration as well as effective cooperation at cross-border, regional and local level.

ERRIN's Role

Leveraging the interest of its Cultural Heritage and Tourism Working Group, ERRIN mobilised pilot regions in Cyprus, Spain (Aragon), Italy (Basilicata), Sweden (Vastra Gotaland), Romania (North-East Romania) to build a member-driven Community of Practice which - together with the Vojvodina Region (Serbia) - will be at the heart of the project's activities. Considered as practice partners, they represent the real-life settings in which specific territorial challenges related to the cultural tourism field will be tackled. ERRIN will follow closely these activities while being responsible for opening additional opportunities for 12 'mirror ecosystems'. Via the establishment and management of a Community of Interest of these 12 additional regions, ERRIN will empower local and governments, and their stakeholder ecosystems, to act as catalysts of transformations by offering mentoring and support services to exploit the full potential of sustainable cultural tourism solutions developed in Be.CULTOUR. 

  • Gaia Marotta
  • Project and Policy Officer
  • Francesca Pozzebon
  • Project Officer
  • Agnieszka Wieczorek Jetha
  • Communications Officer

ERRIN Members

Benefit & Links

The overarching goal of Be.CULTOUR is to co-create and test sustainable human-centred innovations for circular cultural tourism through collaborative innovation networks/methodologies and improved investments strategies. Targeting deprived remote, peripheral or deindustrialized areas and cultural landscapes as well as over-exploited areas, local Heritage innovation networks will co-develop a long-term heritage-led development project in the areas involved enhancing inclusive economic growth, communities’ wellbeing and resilience, nature regeneration as well as effective cooperation at cross-border, regional and local level.

Latest Updates

CHA
  • By Teresa Vio

Cultural Heritage in Action: Call for Participants in peer learning visit in Cantabria

Cultural Heritage in Action is organising a peer learning visit to Cantabria from 21 to 23 September. Anyone working on culture and cultural heritage for a regional, city or rural administration from the EU and the UK can apply to take part in the visit by 15 June.

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  • By Francesca Pozzebon

Peer Learning Workshop on Sustainable Pathways for the Tourism Industry in Malta

On the 30th of May, ESPON will host a Peer Leaning Workshop on "Sustainable Pathways for the Tourism Industry in Malta", in collaboration with the Ministry for Tourism of Malta and Malta Tourism Authority, with the goal of inspiring and empowering sustainable tourism routes in Malta to help overcome the country's post-COVID-19 challenges and cope with the accelerated effects of climate change.

parks
  • By Francesca Pozzebon

Cultural Heritage in Action: Call for participants in peer learning visit to Krakow

Krakow: Sustainable cultural heritage development in practice Our Cultural Heritage in Action programme of peer learning visits continues to unfold! A new call for participants in a peer learning visit to Krakow just opened, deadline to answer is 6 June.

Be.CULTOUR call for tender: design and develop a branding strategy for circular cultural tourism destinations in the pilot heritage sites
  • By Gaia Ialisa Marotta

Be.CULTOUR call for tender: design and develop a branding strategy for circular cultural tourism destinations in the pilot heritage sites

In the context of the Be.CULTOUR project, ERRIN is opening a call for tender for a contractor to undertake the design and development of strategies for the branding and marketing of circular cultural tourism destinations in the pilot heritage sites in collaboration with local stakeholders and in line with the innovation activities carried out by the heritage co-innovation networks established.

deadline extended
  • By Gaia Ialisa Marotta

Be.CULTOUR: Call for Innovative Solutions - deadline extended!

BeCULTOUR is looking for passionate innovators to shape the future of cultural tourism through innovative services and products in its six Pilot Heritage Sites. The deadline has now been extended! Apply before 12 May.

bikes
  • By Francesca Pozzebon

Be.CULTOUR: Call for Innovative Solutions - deadline extended!

In the frame of ERRIN's project Be.CULTOUR, ICHEC Brussels Management School is opening a call for passionate innovators to shape the future of cultural tourism through innovative services and/or products ahead of its Hackathon in September 2022.