Deadline: 1 July 2020
Applications are now open for the European Cultural Tourism Network (ECTN) Awards 2020.
Cultural tourism is the fastest growing sector of European tourism and can contribute both to the sustainability and competitiveness of tourism in the European Union and beyond and to the sustainable future of heritage sites and local communities.
Cultural Tourism products and services are important factors in sustainable development, contributing to the protection and promotion of cultural heritage, the extension of the tourism period, as well as increasing heritage awareness among tourists and host communities, regional GDP and its multiplier effects.
These Awards enhance the visibility of European cultural tourism destinations, create a platform for sharing experience and knowledge and promotes networking between destinations. The Awards Contest is open to tourist destinations across Europe, to showcase their results and outputs in sustainable cultural tourism under seven selected categories.
The 2020 edition of the Awards for ‘Destination of Sustainable Cultural Tourism’ is organised by ECTN in partnership with Europa Nostra, the European Travel Commission and NECSTouR, supported by ‘The Phoenicians’ and ‘Iter Vitis’ Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe. It follows on from the 2018 edition of the Awards which was held as a contribution to the ‘European Year of Cultural Heritage’ (EYCH2018) and the 2019 edition, by a similar partnership and aims to contribute towards the legacy of EYCH2018 through the ‘European Framework for Action on Cultural Heritage’ and other EU initiatives.
The 2020 Awards address the following heritage-related aspects of sustainable cultural tourism:
- Industrial Heritage;
- Maritime, Coastal and Aquatic Heritage, supported by ‘The Phoenicians Route’ cultural route of the Council of Europe;
- Innovation and Digitalisation in Sustainable Cultural Tourism, towards Smart Destinations;
- Transnational Thematic Tourism Products;
- Wine Tourism, supported by the ‘Iter Vitis’ cultural route of the Council of Europe.
The Awards will be given for achievements by cultural tourist destinations which have produced significant results related to enhancing visitor experience while respecting traditions and involving local communities.
ECTN may offer free membership for one year to suitable winners (regional / local authorities, tourism boards / associations and destination management organisations).
Theme
The 2020 overall theme is: ‘Special interest tourism development and promotion based on Cultural Heritage’.
Award Jury
The Awards Jury will be composed of experts from several European countries, appointed by ECTN, Europa Nostra, the European Travel Commission, NECSTouR, the Phoenicians and Iter Vitis Cultural Routes.
The Jury’s decision shall be final. The Jury will not accept requests for additional information or justification of their decision once the awardees have been selected.
Award Information
- Award winners will be announced at the Awards Ceremony to be held during the 13th International Conference for Cultural Tourism on the theme of ‘Special Interest Tourism development and promotion based on Cultural Heritage’, organised by ETCN on 22-24 October 2020 in Krk/Rijeka, Croatia.
- The selected finalists will be invited to the ECTN Conference 2020 and to the Awards Ceremony. The organiser and partners will not reimburse any costs for attending the Awards Ceremony, but the conference fee will be waived for up to two persons per finalist.
Award Criteria
The Awards Jury will assess the quality of applications according to the following criteria:
- Relevance to the legacy of ‘European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018’: ‘European Framework for Action on Cultural Heritage’ and the ‘Barcelona Declaration’.
- Technical content of actions.
- Evidence of success.
- Sustainability of the actions.
- Ability to attract visitors from outside Europe to lesser known destinations.
- Innovative nature of the actions.
- Involvement of the local community.
Eligibility Criteria
- The Joint Awards are open to all tourist destinations across Europe, national, regional and local authorities, tourism boards and associations, destination management organisations, museums, interpretation centres, festivals and cultural NGOs.
- The applicants must address one of the above themes. Award winners will be recognised as examples of excellence inspiring other tourist destinations and stimulating further development of sustainable and responsible cultural tourism initiatives.
How to Apply
Fill in all sections of the application form in English (applications in other languages will not be considered).
The Application form and the required Declaration can be downloaded in Word format via given website.
For more information, visit http://www.culturaltourism-network.eu/award-2020.html