Taking care of cultural heritage is at the heart of sustainable development strategies of communities. Tourism is frequently viewed as a driver for this sustainability whilst connecting tangible and intangible cultural heritage and residents. Indeed, public opinion often regards the renovation of heritage sites as part of tourism initiatives and considers the positive impact of this industry on preserving a community’s heritage. However, it is worth considering whether traditional approaches in the adaptation of heritage sites to the tourism activities truly benefit the preservation and interpretation of these sites, as well as the sustainability of the local tourism sector and the well-being of residents.
Cultural Heritage encompasses a wide range of tangible resources from consolidated monuments and sites to vernacular places, as well as unique intangible cultural aspects, from techniques and traditions, that originate from within the community and represent its collective history. Tourism has been considering these assets in its diverse range of activities but the underuse or even neglect of heritage results in limited engagement for both residents and visitors.
Parting from the value and diversity of the distinctive cultural heritage existing in the municipality of Portalegre, analysing, discussing, and outlining appropriate development models for heritage tourism is essential to ensure its sustainable adaptive reuse in which host communities are the primary beneficiaries.
HART is an international event jointly organised by the Portalegre Polytechnic University’s CARE – Research Center on Health and Social Sciences, Iscte – University Institute of Lisbon’s Centre for Research and Studies in Sociology (CIES-Iscte) and the Tourism Regional Entity of Alentejo and Ribatejo. It aims to promote a reflection on the intersections between heritage and tourism, seeking to build bridges between practitioners’ knowledge and academic scientific knowledge. Focusing on the heritage assets of Portalegre, specifically its tapestry and former cork-processing industry, HART will actively involve a wide range of stakeholders at the intersection of tourism and heritage: academics, scientists, managers, technicians and communities, who have sought to build a positive relationship between heritage preservation and its adaptive reuse applied to tourism.
HART proposes a hybrid implementation model, interspersing periods of conferences with international experts in the field of adaptive reuse of heritage, and workshops with specific topics for debate. The venues that will host the various sessions will be itinerant, each day at a different site with heritage value recognised both formally and by the communities.
The number of participants will be reduced because the aim is for everyone to be able to contribute, moving from being passive spectators to active agents in the construction of reflections.
If you are a professional, academic or interested in heritage management and preservation, cultural tourism or regional development, especially in peripheral areas, we are sure that your participation in HART will be of value to you.
Event associated with the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Higher School of Education and Social Sciences of Portalegre’s BA in Tourism, with the collaboration of its students