Engaging Culture and Heritage for Sustainable Tourism

WWWelcomeWelcome to the ststst 111 EEEditionEdition of the

CHARTS project NEWSLETTER

Issue 1 – December 2012 This is the first issue of the CHARTS Newsletter. The Newsletter will be issued every 6 months in order to inform and promote the results and outputs of the project CHARTS

In this edition: * Introducing the project partners * Kick-off meeting * Joint Training Seminar * Thematic Workshops on climate change, accessibility to heritage and effective partnerships * Staff Exchange programme * Participation in European Tourism Day 2012 and The 11th European Tourism Forum * Dissemination event for locals in Sibiu * Upcoming activities January-June 2013

“Dear Readers and Partners, Welcome to the CHARTS project 1st Newsletter , the INTERREG IVC regional initiative that I am very pleased to welcome you to our actively engages culture and heritage for project CHARTS “ Culture and Heritage sustainable tourism! Added value to Regional policies for In this project we are transferring good practic es Tourism Sustainability ”, in the between the partner regions and producing valuable Interregional Cooperation Programme web based tools for use by destination authorities in INTERREG IVC of the European Union. developing their cultural tourism potential. It is a great honour and I believe in collective effort and I think that pleasure to be the coordinator of such a widespread and competent our collaboration within the project CHARTS partnership, working together on a theme of strong European significance will benefit all of us as a partnership, bringing together culture and tourism sectors. Based in , the ancient achieving and demonstrating in each of the partner regions all those city of Iolkos, the CHARTS Management & Coordination Unit (MCU) is at competitive advantages that will work for the benefit of our citizens and the service of all project partners for a cultur al journey like new visitors.” Argonauts... Nikolaos Fortounas Manos Vougioukas Mayor of South , CHARTS Project Coordinator

______CHARTS project is a Regional Initiative focused on the role of culture and heritage in the formulation and delivery of added-value to regional CHARTS project KEY OBJECTIVES: strategies for sustainable tourism development and integration into local, • To exchange experience amongst the partners on sustainable regional, national and Europe Union policies. management of cultural heritage and landscape • To use best practices from previous projects and the current exchange CHARTS project duration: January 2012 – June 2014 of experience within 10 regions from 11 different EU countries In this project proposal, the previous INTERREG IIIC Operation ECTN , • To transfer 12 Good Practices between 10 regions in the field of INTERREG IIIB CADSES Project CHIRON and CultMark IIIC Operation climate change , effective partnership , host community engagement, came together to share, transfer and capitalize produced outputs, relevant quality criteria , visitor accessibility , visitor information , place identified and piloted Good Practices. marketing , cultural routes , railway heritage , local products and gastronomy , traditional skills , cycling for tourists Our mission is to enrich regional policies with culture and heritage as • To support and provide added value from initiatives at EU Level added value for tourism sustainability by exchanging experience • To deliver 10 Implementation Plans (1 in each region)

amongst the partners in established 12 Good Practices on • To involve all key stakeholders in culture and tourism in all partner sustainable management of culture, heritage and landscape, regions communication and collaboration, keeping in mind the effects of • To disseminate the outputs and results beyond the interregional innovation while creating a knowledge base that can span well partnership and influence policy maker s in regions, EU institutions, beyond the project’s end. international bodies and relevant networks

The 13 partners of the CHARTS project are drawn from 11 states, 10 Project is co-financed by European Regional Development Fund , made regions of Europe Union; in particular: 3 regional authorities, 3 local possible by the INTERREG IVC programme 2007 – 2013 government bodies, 2 national agencies / institutes, 2 regional tourism

boards, 1 authorities union, 1 University and 1 Network.

Project is based on capitalizing previous projects:

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Engaging Culture and Heritage for Sustainable Tourism Issue 1 – December 2012 INTRODUC ING THE PARTNERS

ECTN – European Cultural Municipality of Tourism Network (Belgium) Welsh Assembley Government CADW (Greece) Lead Partner (Wales,UK) The Lead Partner, Municipality of South Pelion is a CADW is the Managing Authority for structural ECTN is the only network which brings the newly established loc al authority in , as a funds in Wales and has considerable experience tourism and cultural industry professionals result of the recent local government working in different regions of E urope together to in using structural funds to implement policies in administrative reform in Greece (January 2011), the fields of tourism, heritage and economic exchange experience and information on best formed from the union/merger of five previous development. The Welsh Assembly Government practices. ECTN is a not-for-profit organization local authorities (, Sipiada, , is directly responsible for the development and under Belgian Law with three strands to work: Municipalities and Commune). Th e Lead Research, Practice and Policy. implementation of policies for economic Partner developed its competences in culture & development, tourism, culture an d heritage within www.ectn.eu.com interregional cooperation as a partner in Wales. www.wales.gov.uk INTERREG IVC CeRamiCa project (Ceramics and Pafos Regional Board Crafts Industries' Increased Cooperation), on of Tourism () preservation and revitalisation of European Cultural heritage (former Municipality of Milies). Pafos RBT is the o fficial body representing under www.dimosnotioupiliou.gr Region Västra Götaland (Sweden) one umbrella all sectors involved in the tourism VG Regional authority is responsible for the industry in the region of Pafos in Cyprus. The role economic development, tourism, culture, quality of Pafos RBT w ithin the region is to develop and assurance and marketing in the region. VG coordinate activities, to promote the region as a Regional authority influences and consults on a quality tourist destination, to coordinate activities broad range of strategies and has an extensive between the private and government sectors list of partners and stakeholders in the region, especially for prob lem solving related to the Midland Regional Authority (Ireland) nationally and in Europe. www.vgregion.se tourism industry and to increase flights to and MRA is the regional body with competences on from Pafos airport. www.visitpafos.org.cy strategic regional development, economic, social, Vidzeme Tourism cultural and heritage. As part of a regional body, Association Midlands is consulted on sectors of strategy from (Latvia) land use, planning, heritage, economic, heritage and cultural and tourism and has influence over VTA is a regional tourism authority that brings Union of South -East Region Local Authorities them. www.midlands.ie together people, governmental institutions and (Bulgaria) businesses working in tourism sector in order to USERLA i s an association created by the 4 collecti vely advertise and promote Vidzeme biggest municipalities in the Region: Burgas, region, as well as to allocate financial resources Veneto Region – Yambol, Stara Zagora and Sliven with a goal to from the state for tourism development. Department of promote the sustainable economic, social and www.vidzeme.com Tourism (Italy) ecological development of the Region through

successful partnerships with other regions, Veneto Region Veneto is among the wealthiest, European institutions, international organizations, most developed and industrialised regions of NGOs, and business. USERLA works on Italy. The Tourism Department of Veneto Region Mallorca Council – Environment sustainable development, one of which is cultural has recently elaborated a plan for sustainable heritage preservation and promotion as a tool for and competitive tourism that includes incentives Department (Spain) Consell de Mallorca is a supramunicipal public sustainable tourism achievement. for EMAS and ECOLABEL certifications. The . Region is preparing and submitting Legislative entity with government and administrative IBERTUR - functions, representative of the island of Mallorca proposals as well as taking Administrative University of measures on tourism. www.regione.veneto.it with 56 municipalities. The Environment Barcelona Department has competences to develop actions (Spain) and measures linked to sustainable developmen t and environment preservation. IBERTUR Network is one result of the Alfa National Institute www.conselldemallorca.net Project on Cultural Tourism in Europe and La tin for Research-Development America. IBERTUR is a member of ENCATC Greek National in Tourism (Romania) with active participation in the UNESCO Chair Tourism Organization NIRDT is a centre of Studies and Projecting for Culture, Tourism and Development and its (Greece) the Promotion of Tourism – a public institution of UNITWIN Network; Cultural Tourism Product GNTO is a Public Entity supervised by the national interest, i s being subordinated to the Club, as advisors of the Turisime de Barcelona, Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The role of the Ministry of Tourism. NIRDT offers projects of a public-private body for the promot ion and GNTO is to develop, coordinate, promote and valuing the tourist potential in territory; business commercialisation of Barcelona as tourism disseminate the tourism sector and use the plans, feasibility studies; marketing research, destination. IBERTUR works with the Ministry of comparative advantages of natural and cultural strategies and policy for the tourist services . Culture and Tourspain in order to promote assets in Greece. It disseminates the tourism www.incdt.ro cultural tourism in country. policies on European level. www.gestioncultural.org/ibertur www.visitgreece.gr/portal/site/eot/

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What is Cultural Tourism?

“Cultural tourism can be briefly defined as tourism based on local and regional cultural resources. These include cultural traditions, language, history, cultural landscapes, built environment, archaeological sites, museums and cultural activities such as festivals, galleries, art attractions, theatres, as well as attractions related to primary production, crafts, manufacturing, social history and life.”

Who is the cultural tourist?

“The `pure` culturally motivated tourist: selects a holiday on the basis of the cultural opportunities the destination offers

The Project KICK -OFF The `casual` culturally inspired tourist:

Argalasti Meeting 22 -23 March, 2012 Spend a relatively large proportion of their

The project kick-off meeting took a place in Argalasti, time visiting place of interest when on a South Pelion in Greece aiming to bring the partners holiday or break together in order to plan how the project will be delivered over the next two and half years. The `accidental` culturally attracted tourist:

Meeting activities included: pay little attention to specific cultural • Introduction of participants and project partners aspects of places of interest before • Presentation of results, outputs and lessons learned from INTERREG IIIC Operation ECTN, INTERREG deciding on a destination”. IIIB CADSES Project CHIRON and CultMark IIIC Operation • Set up a project Management and Coordination Unit (MCU) ECTN INTERREG IIIC Project Report • 12 Good Practices for transferring between partners December 2006 • Working plan for 2,5 years • Press Conference with Secretary-General of the Union of Regional Authorities of Greece, Mr Apostolos Papatolias • 2 Tours of South Pelion - Milies village (cultural capital of the Municipality of South Pelion), with guided visits to the historic library, local museum, 16th century church and display of folk dancing; Trikeri village, with cultural visits to the old community centre, historic cathedral church, tower mansion (the last habitable tower mansion in Greece).

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Engaging Culture and Heritage for Sustainable Tourism

Issue 1 – December 2012 Joint Training Seminar in Barcelona

Barcelona Meeting and increase partner’s capacities. 21-22 June, 2012 Two days seminar was dedicated on: - Place Marketing and Tourism Marketing Strategies for European Regions. CHARTS implemented its The role of culture. first activity Joint Training - Cultural and Tourism Policies and Strategies for Good Governance, Seminar on “Heritage and Sustainable Tourism and Regional Development in Europe. The Cultural Policies and importance of International and European Cultural Labels Strategies for a Sustainable - EU initiatives on sustainable and responsible tourism (COM 352, Quality Tourism Promotion and Label, Charter, CALYPSO Social tourism, etc.) Development in European - Experiences and best practices in Heritage and Cultural Policies and Regions” with 52 attendants. Strategies for a Sustainable Tourism Promotion and Development in The seminar aimed to benefit staff of the partner regions in culture and Europe heritage inputs to tourism sustainability regional policies and related - Workshop: How we can define common indicators for cultural tourism in innovations, to provide a better understanding of the wider issues involved in Europe? heritage tourism and destination management, to acquire knowledge - Cultural and Creative Industries in Touris m Strategies

Workshop on climate change in North Wales Conwy Meeting • Impact of Climate Change an d Measures to minimise the impact of Climate 24 September, 2012 Change in the Historic Buildings of Wales by John Edwards, Assistant Director Properties in care The 1st workshop on climate change in cultural tourism • Preparing for Climate Change in the Historic Environment by Jill Bullen, destinations took place in Senior Landscape Specialist, Countryside Council For Wales

Conwy, North Wales, UK to • The National Trust Approach in preparing for Climate Change by Emma exchange knowledge, Plunkett-Dillon Head of Conservation and Paul Southall, National Trust

experience and transfer • The role of Destination Management In preparing tourism destinations for good practice on climate change risks assessments, adaptation and climate change: The Welsh model by Peter Cole, Regional Strategy mitigation in cultural tourism destinations for tourism sustainability with Director, Capital Region Tourism and ECTN Board Member 29 attendants. • Achieving effective destination management on the ground by George The following Initiatives were presented to the partners: Brookes, Destination Manager, Conwy County Borough Council • Climate Change & Tourism Overview by Nigel Adams, ECTN Workshop - technical vis it on railway heritage Great Little Trains of Wales 25 2. The need to involve the younger generation as volunteers through September, 2012 providing a ‘kids training week’ 3. To work with similar railways in marketing consortia, and to promote the Project participants visited other attractions of the area in marketing literature narrow gauge heritage railways 4. Providing appeal envelopes in the carriages Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland 5. To have a long term plan and vision in place Railway with 12 attendants 6. To measure the wider economic impact on local communities in terms of organized by CADW with ECTN jobs supported and additional visitor spending to justify public funding assistance. support and as a means of ensuring the support of the local community During the one long day visit lessons learned: 7. Offering a quality experience to customers 1. The importance of having societies supporting the railways which can

provide support through fund raising and volunteers

Workshop on accessibility to heritage

Tullamore Meeting Penberthy, Head of Interpretation of CADW 12-13 November 2012 • Project CLEAR – physical accessibility to/and in cultural values;

The 2nd Workshop took place in accessibility to knowledge & information on culture; economic Midland region, Ireland for accessibility; psycho-social accessibility and socio-cultural accessibility exchange knowledge, by Dimitris Apostolou, Director of EKPOL – Social and Cultural Council, experience and transfer good Region of , Greece

practice on intellectual and • Placebooks: The Challenges and Opportunities of Digital Collaborative physical accessibility to Tools for the creation of, and Access to, Digital Cultural Tourism heritage in cultural tourism Resources by Tom Pert

destinations with 27 attendants. • The Pilgrim’s Path Project 2000-2012 by Amanda Pedlow, Heritage The following Initiatives were presented to the partners: Officer, Offaly County Council, Ireland Creativity is the key to understanding: Experiences with media to connect • Tillgänglighets Databasen - Access to Public Institutions by Åsa with audiences by Ms Marilyn Lewis, Director of CADW and Mr. David Kågeson, Vastra Gotland region, Sweden

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Engaging Culture and Heritage for Sustainable Tourism Issue 1 – December 2012 Workshop on effective partnership

Burgas Meeting • Tourism sector partnership by Nasos Hadjigeorgiou, Director of Pafos 6 – 7 Decmber, 2012 Regional Board of Tourism , Cyprus • Effective partnerships in Vidzeme by Janis Sijats, specialist at Vidzeme The 3rd Workshop took Tourism Association, Latvia place in Burgas, Bulgaria • Tourism development, effective partnerships and regional airports by in order to exchange Pavlos Arvanitis, Researcher at the University of the Aegean, Greece knowledge, experience • Burgas: Candidate for European Capital of Culture 2019: effective and transfer good practice partnership – the way to success by Burgas municipality, Bulgaria to project partners on • Tourism development and experience in Sliven municipality by Krasimir effective partnership at Marchev, USERLA destination level between • Effective Partnership for Regional Development Project by Reni cultural and tourism sectors, improving the offers and develop Andonova, Deputy Mayor of Stara Zagora Municipality, USERLA innovative pilot projects that encourage visitors to stay longer and • ”The masquerade festival Kukerlandia- symbol of Yambol traditions engage with local culture with 28 attendants. around the world: culture partnerships” by Galina Karadzhova, Yambol The following Initiatives were presented to the partners: Municipality, USERLA • Links of CHARTS Project with EU Tourism Policy (COM 352) by Ieva ______Treija Moraitis, CHARTS MCU Communication Officer and Public A.Nikolova: “Effective Partnership for Sustainable Tourism Relations specialist at Vidzeme Tourism Association, Latvia Development is a dynamic stakeholder’s collaboration process at • Partnership as a key factor to integrated approach and sustainable different levels and different stages of planning and implementation tourism by Atanaska Nikolova, Deputy Mayor “European Policies, of local and regional strategies”. Environment”, Burgas Municipality

3 Staff Exchanges: 3 raised skills levels for partners

In 2012 CHARTS implemented 3 Staff Exchanges: Staff exchange programme is a knowledge transfer between partners in - Staff members from Veneto region and Vidzeme Tourism Association order to provide hands-on experience, skills and expertise to the sending went to Midland Regional Authority in the begging of November 2012 partner’s key staff responsible for policy implementation in heritage tourism under good practice on accessibility of heritage management through staff exchanges and training under established good - two members of USERLA staff went to Veneto Region under good practices. practice on cultural routes Staff Exchange opportunities open to all, irrespective of gender, ______preferences, colour or creed. Officer of Veneto Region Guiseppe Voltolina: “A fundamental

component of accessibility considered in the broad sense of access to Staff Exchange programme duration: information. It can allow finding out ideas for the implementation of September 2012 – March 2013 the good practice that Veneto Region is recipient and Midland is

donor. Technology can be considered as one of the main drivers of

accessibility for a sustainable development of tourism, so I would like

to say that in both regions there are only strengths to use it.”

CHARTS Project Coordinator M.Vougioukas, Cultural Tourism – one of the main markets in Europe Project Communication Manager I.Treija-Moraitis, Interview with Director at DG Enterprise Mr. Pedro Ortún ECTN President C.Boersma, by Ieva Treija-Moraitis ECTN Coordinator J.Winton and T.Olsson from Region What is European opinion connecting with cultural tourism? Västra Götaland joined at the This is one of the main markets that should be developing even further. It is European Tourism Day on 27 a part of main of tourism policy at European level objective: to take profit, to September 2012 in Brussels. promote and to protect our culture heritage national culture demand. The conference was dedicated to the issues of “seasonality, maritime and That is why we are embarked in several projects dealing with cultural coastal tourism”. Vice President of the European Commission, Antonio tourism. It is demanded with enjoined agreement with council of Europe. We Tajani underlined how necessary it is to make tourism an all-year activity to launched a call for proposals last year and another one this year on cultural ensure sustainable and long-term employment for the tourism industry and tourism projects and we are very much pushing for it always to European better conditions for the tourists themselves. A number of stakeholders emerge not only to dealing with cultural tourism at national and regional presented and discussed their experience and best practices in the field. level. Promoting cooperation between different member states and public-

The afternoon session was dedicated on the new Commission private partnerships, public authorities, industry is a main issue in our policy.

Communication for Coastal and Maritime Tourism in Europe and how it will promote dedicated sea-basin approaches and synergies between regions and across borders. During the conference, it was stressed that real country growth should be responsible for sustainable growth.

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Engaging Culture and Heritage for Sustainable Tourism

Issue 1 – December 2012 The 11th European Dissemination event for locals Tourism Forum in Sibiu

National Institute for Research and

Development in Tourism NIRDT, Our project partner`s representatives from Pafos RBT joined at organized a press and media event in European Tourism Forum 2012 on 25-26 October in Nicosia, Cyprus. the Sibiu County, Mosna locality, The Forum was dedicated on two topics “Promotion of Europe as a Tourist Romania for journalists and local Destination”, and “Facilitation of Tourism Flows to Europe” by bringing stakeholders to raise awareness about together leading representatives from the tourism industry, civil society, CHARTS project. European Institutions, national and regional authorities dealing with tourism, and international organizations. Next European Tourism Forum will be held This event was linked with a local event named "Festivalul verzei - in Ireland. Cabbage Festival". All participants of ETF were invited to attend a special tourism conference on the 25 th April in Dublin Castle, Ireland by P.Bates, Assistant Secretary Upcoming project activities General Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, Ireland. He themed on heritage tourism and linked to the EU vision for the heritage and cultural January – June 2013 tourism product and its consumer. The 12 th European Tourism Forum will be in Lithuania on 2013. • 4th Thematic Workshop “Host Communities & Responsible Tourism” on 28-29 March 2013 at Sibiu, Romania • 5th Thematic Workshop “Quality Criteria” in April 2013 at Västra Götaland, Sweden Get involved in the CHARTS project through: • Study Tour in May 2013 at Veneto Region, Italy • Three thematic Workshops “Railway Heritage”, “Local Products & Workshops Gastronomy” and “Traditional Skills” in June 2013 at South Good Practice Web based Toolkits Pelion, Greece Expert papers • Dissemination events for locals in 5 partner regions Newsletters and articles • Staff Exchange programme’s activities Local & International events • Participation in ITB Tourism Fair on 6-10 March 2013 at Berlin, Germany • Announcement of CHARTS Award for tourism destinations in Europe

Get more information about:

INTERREG IVC programme 2007-2013: http://www.interreg4c.eu/

European Regional Development Fund: http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/index_en.htm

Download and disseminate project Newsletters and documents from our official website: www.charts-interreg4c.eu

Be a Friend and make Friends in CHARTS project Read about us in CHARTS project

See us in CHARTS2014 Come to our network CHARTS project INTERREG IVC

Project Management and Coordination by Euro Trans Ltd., Koumoundourou 61 , Volos 38221, Greece , Tel.+30242107627

with support from www.uth.gr/en

CONTACT DETAILS Project Coordinator Manos Vougioukas, e-mail: [email protected]

Communication Manager Ieva Treija-Moraitis, e-mail: [email protected] skype: ievy777

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