The cultural Routes of the Council of Europe, towards a new model for European co-operation
Forum of Delphi, 17-18 April 2010
The combined effect of the economic crisis and
the failure to create a global governance capable of addressing climate change
have produced a culture shock which, as some predict, is heralding a new,
post-consumption paradigm of development.
Assuming that such a paradigm is necessary and
indeed likely, let me offer some thoughts about the way in which tourism might
evolve in a post-materialist society and the place initiatives such as the
Council of Europe Cultural Routes may have in it.
In the recent decades across the developed
part of the world, engagement with heritage and travelling have been an
integral part of leisure but often in a consumerist spirit, rather than as a
meaningful immersion into history, art or a territory. While culture is, as the
March Eurobarometer Flash survey on tourism[1]
indicated, an important driver of tourism in Europe, it is not the main factor
of choice for holiday destinations, in particular for young people. (1)
At the same time, almost 30% express a
preference for an “off the beaten track” destinations, and were in particular
willing to explore local customs and traditions.50% of cultural journeys are
organised by the tourist themselves. What do these findings tell us?
There is a need for authentic heritage and
cultural tourism which is not satisfied by the standardised offer by the
mainstream operators. There is an expectation for further diversification, for
unique experiences and human encounters.
An example is the resounding success of a BBC programme called "Coast", presented as “a journey around the coast of the United Kingdom, uncovering stories that have made us the island nation we are today”.
The programme celebrates the unique
character of the UK's coastal communities, exploring a wealth of fascinating
human stories through a mixture of expert comment, contemporary storytelling
and computer-generated images. Well-documented web-based itineraries and walks
with audio guides complete the televised images, blending a perfect synergy
between new media and local resources. The programme attracts millions of
viewers and has led to a 50% increase of the number of people who take
their holidays in the regions.
Coast illustrates a principle which the Council of Europe has sought to promote for a long time: that in order to become a real asset for communities, heritage needs to be made “alive” and relevant for our times. In recognition of this, the Council of Europe has encouraged a shift of focus from the « protection of heritage » towards a real « project of society ».
The ideal of “living heritage” and
sustainable development is claimed as a cultural project carried out through an
economic process taking into account the social coherence and the cultural
identity of concerned populations.
Connecting to heritage gives people greater
confidence in their identity and a feeling of belonging to a community. This
principle is the foundational stone of the Council of Europe Cultural Routes
programme.
The Cultural Routes were not solely conceived as heritage promotion initiatives but as trans-border cultural projects between civil society organisations and local communities as a tool for understanding, reconciliation and the building of a European identity.
Today, the cultural routes certified by the Council of Europe involve around over 1000 local communities, 170 NGOs and universities, and hold hundreds of cultural and educational events a year. The civil society dynamism generated by these routes is simply amazing, a proof that people do engage with heritage when it is them who define what and how is to be done.
I should pay tribute here to the
relentless efforts and outstanding competence of our partner, the European
Cultural Institute in Luxembourg, which has made an enormous contribution to
the success of the Council of Europe cultural routes.
The Council of Europe Cultural Routes also contribute to the propagation of a democratic concept of heritage. Industrial heritage; agricultural and lifestyle-related heritage are the basis for some of our cultural routes such as the European Iron Route and the Route of the Olive tree.
Broad participation and membership in the routes networks is encouraged
and the routes develop different tracks and strands following a multitude of
grassroots initiatives. The Council of Europe’s focus is not on exceptional heritage
but on the link between heritage and the community and on heritage as a
resource for sustainable development.
Council of Europe Cultural routes also have a strong intercultural potential – which we are now seeking to optimise. The European Route of Jewish Heritage or the Legacy of Al-andalus which presents the contribution by the Arab world to Western Europe’s philosophy, sciences, arts and literature are examples of routes which encourage mutual knowledge and recognition between different cultural components of our diverse societies.
We will soon begin work on a Cultural Route of the Roma memory, a
potentially pan-European undertaking, which we hope will add another dimension
to political discourse and many social programmes for Roma integration.
The democratic and intercultural essence of
the Council of Europe Cultural Routes underline their potential to address some
of the key development challenges for tourism today. Involving people not as
passive spectators but as co-creators of their journey; offering new ways of
approaching and interpreting the familiar; proposing discoveries not far away
from home; a new “enchantment of the world” and authentic exchanges with local
populations, in particular with categories of people with whom one does not easily
interact in daily life such as Roma; an engaged tourism as opposed to
consumerist tourism; a contribution to local development and the preservation
of the local cultures and knowledge; privilege a deep, multifaceted
understanding of a locality through slower and more authentic means of
transport – bicycle, on foot – and opportunities to undertake a thorough
interpretation of heritage.
The Council of Europe Cultural Routes focus attention on less popular
destinations, thus contributing to the decongestion of block-buster tourism
sites and a more equitable distribution of tourism revenues. By giving a central role
to the members of cultural routes associations and networks, the Routes empower
the people as owners and ambassadors of their past and their heritage.
Tourism business does not escape the trend of
concentration, vertical integration and a mass market approach. In this context
the Council of Europe Cultural Routes offers the seeds of a more diversified,
more humane, more sustainable and more imaginative tourism.
Now is a crucial moment for European
co-operation in the field of Tourism. The European Commission is working
towards an ambitious vision of reinforcing tourism as a key motor for growth
and employment. The Council of Europe is proposing to set up a Partial
agreement on cultural routes and cultural tourism as a laboratory for
innovation and a centre of excellence for the tourism of the future. We are
already working very closely with the European Commission to establish a
partnership and ensure that the new Partial agreement will play an important
part in the the shaping of the vision and strategy for Europe as a leading
cultural and tourism destination of the future.
The Partial Agreement will initially involve
those of our 47 member states which are more advanced in their understanding of
the need for a new integrated approach to heritage, culture, tourism and the
environment, and a platform for cooperation between a wide range of
stakeholders. I call upon the Council of Europe member states represented here
to support the creation of a Partial agreement and join it as founding members
and invite all participants to bring their energy, knowledge and commitment to
this new venture.
This new co-operation framework will build
upon our achievements and the excellent work of the Luxembourg Institute and
reinforce the role of Cultural Routes in the European cultural and tourism
landscape. It will help position the Routes as tools not only for cultural
tourism but also for sustainable territorial development and social cohesion,
with a particular focus on less known destinations and sites of symbolic
importance for European history, culture and values. It will contribute to the
development and promotion of the concept “Destination Europe” in order to raise
awareness globally of Europe as a tourism destination of a unique value and
quality. The partial agreement will
facilitate the emergence of a coherent professional tourism offer based on the
Cultural routes initiatives.
I thank the European Cultural Center of
Delphi, the Ministry of Culture & Tourism of the Hellenic Republic and the
Ministry of Culture of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg for the opportunity they
have given, as co-organisers of this forum, to start building a coalition of
cultural routes advocates and stakeholders. Delphes will be remembered, I hope,
as the “cultural routes commons”, the cradle of a new initiative which will
make Cultural routes a centerpiece of a new tourism strategy for Europe.
Director General of Education, Culture & Heritage, Youth and Sport
Coordinator for Intercultural Dialogue
Council of Europe
[1] Analytical report Flash EB No 291 – Survey on the attitudes of Europeans towards tourism, March 2010 http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/newsroom/cf/document.cfm?action=display&doc_id=5668&userservice_id=1&request.id=0
Commentaires
Enregistrer un commentaire