SESSION #611 (NATIONAL) PERSPECTIVES ON THE SIGNIFICANCE AND EFFECTS OF THE INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL TOURISM CHARTER

Tourism|  ICOMOS|  Management 

​After Istanbul, Glasgow, Vilnius and Maastricht we organise, one more time, a session on tourism and archaeology at the international conference of the European Association of Archaeologists which will take place in Barcelona this year!

The meeting brings together hundreds of archaeologists together and is an important place where we can exchange ideas and experiences. We participated since the beginning in the development of a working party on archaeology and tourism. This working group is chaired by Annemarie Willems, our previous president!

This session is organised by Cynthia Dunning (ArchaeoTourism / ArchaeoConcept, Switzerland), Annemarie Willems (AW Heritage Consultancy, Finland) and Sanjin Mihelic (Archaeological Museum in Zagreb, Croatia). 

Deadline for abstracts is February 15th!  

​Content of the session: 

For many of those concerned with the various aspects of the relationship between archaeology and tourism, the ICOMOS International Cultural Tourism Charter, Managing Tourism at Places of Heritage Significance, has been a seminal document. It approached this often lacking relationship from a novel perspective, addressing issues and introducing notions and ideas designed to promote a participative approach to management of heritage places. It appealed for respect, understanding and collaboration between different stakeholders as the best, and arguably also the only way to ensure a sustainable future for heritage places. It also sought to enfranchise host communities, while at the same time championing the rights of visitors for a worthwhile and enjoyable experience.
The Charter is currently under review and the aim of this session is to provide local or national perspectives not only on the theoretical significance, but also on the reception of the Charter and the effects it has had since its adoption. To what extent have the objectives and principles of the Charter been implemented in various parts of the world, i.e. in different countries? May the tenets of the Charter be considered a standard practice today, or are they still only a vision that will take a long time to fulfil?
The authors are encouraged to approach the topic from a national perspective—assessing the impact of the Charter at national level—on the one hand, or by presenting a case study of a single heritage place on the other.
Session organised by the EAA Working Party on Tourism.