Pamplona was the place were CU.T partners met last 25th September to celebrate the Final Conference of the subproject

During the last year, CU.T subproject partners have worked together in order to analyse in depth their mountain areas and to propose a cultural tourism management methodology based on natural and cultural heritage intelligent management arisen from the European Spatial Development Perspective.

Now it was time to present the results of this analysis in CU.T Final Conference, which took place in Pamplona last 25th September.

Meeting wash held in the Auditorium Congress Hall Baluarte, in Pamplona, and was opened by Mr. José Carlos Esparza, Minister of Housing and Spatial Planning of the Regional Government of Navarre. Mr. Esparza welcomed CU.T partners coming from Italy and Greece and underlined the importance of collaboration and exchanges of experiences among European regions. “We trust CU.T subproject results are going to reinforce the idea of considering natural and cultural heritage as an important economic factor which is becoming fundamental in the regional development”, declared the Minister.

After his words, was the time for CU.T project managers to present their cases of study: Archaeological Park of Tusculum, in Lazio, areas of mounts Pindus and Olimpus, in Macedonia, Balmetti area in the Alps of the moraine Serra of Ivrea and Canavese and the Pyrenees of Navarre.

The main common element of these mountain regions is the need to wholly enhance their cultural tourism potential, which can be a key factor for its future development. Therefore, it will promote quality of life in mountainous areas in danger of de-population and marginality.

And how could we attend these needs? Some keys and suggestions to achieve CU.T objectives are explained in the subproject’s methodology.

CU.T Methodology

Subproject’s CU.T proposal about a cultural tourism management methodology is articulated along five major lines which in turn develop a series of key items. These items have been delineated from existing empirical knowledge and by taking the approaches of the European Spatial Development Perspective and the Territorial Agenda of the EU as references.

The first one is the strategic planning. Tourism and in particular heritage tourism also requires of its own planning tools a process that may enable one to firstly reflect and then to act via Strategic Plans or Master Plans that articulate a whole process of knowledge and participation. The second one refers specifically to the process of creation of cultural or natural tourist products.

Line number three underlines the importance of creating public and private service networks in the areas. Human resources are also important: there is no heritage resource – and we should stress this – which does not need human creativity in order to become transformed into a tourist product capable of competing on the market, for whatever reason. And, finally, line number five explains how to communicate, promote and disseminate our product on an increasingly tough and competitive market.

Time to visit the Pyrenees area

Navarre’s case of study main figure is the Pyrenees. CU.T partners had also the chance to visit Roncesvalles, the entrance of Way of Saint James in Navarra, and Lumbier, a town with a strong natural heritage (Foces de Lumbier) where everybody enjoyed a very special meal consist of several typical Navarre’s courses.

It was a real pleasure for us to welcome our partners to our region for this CU.T final meeting and, also, to work together with them during these lasts months.

I wish they all, as myself, have good memories about our subproject and the people who were involved in it. Thanks a lot to all of you!

Top