The HERITAGE ALIVE! project

HERITAGE ALIVE! aims to strengthen the capacity of European cultural heritage sites to become dynamic centres of regional development and attract tourism while at the same time preserve their unique heritage. In fact, an integrated, sustainable development of such sites is of high importance for the cultural diversity and identity of Europe’s regions

"Cultural identity is not set in stone; it’s in the experiences people share."
John Pereira, Heritage Alive! Project Manager


What is HERITAGE ALIVE!

An INTERREG IIIB CADSES Initiative

The HERITAGE ALIVE! project is part-financed by the European Union under the INTERREG IIIB CADSES Neighbourhood Programme (4th Call, Project No. 5D224): Priority 3 - Promotion and management of landscape, natural and cultural heritage Measure 3.1 - Protecting and developing cultural heritage. “Salzburg Research Forschungsgesellschaft m.b.H.” in Salzburg, Austria, is responsible for the project management. Project duration: April 2006 – March 2008
Importance of World Heritage Sites
It is the special cultural character of a region that attracts visitors and makes the local population identify with their region. The CADSES area has many World Heritage sites which can help stimulate economic prosperity, strengthen social cohesion and maintain regional identity. But this will only be realized, if the value and meaning of this heritage is communicated to visitors and inhabitants.
The HERITAGE ALIVE! project partners develop, implement and transfer know-how about how to make good use of information and communication technologies to promote their cultural treasures and establish a dialogue between local people and visitors.
In this work the partners understand cultural heritage to be an important factor of regional development, local/regional cultural identity and cultural tourism. Moreover the regional cultural heritage is seen as an important aspect of quality of life, sense of place and lived culture of the local people.
The HERITAGE ALIVE! project partnership comprises very different regions and cultural heritage that, however, have a common goal: We want to enhance the mediation of our cultural heritage to both: the local community as well as guests and tourists. And a major element in this mediation is to involve local people – in particular, young people – in the communication of the value and meaning of the cultural heritage sites and objects.
In fact, this communication should not focus only or mainly on making cultural heritage sites attractive for tourism. Rather, it is important to involve the local community in the articul
ation of the meanings of their cultural heritage and the role they want it to have in the further development of the region.
Mediating World Heritage Sites Effectively with ICT
World Heritage Sites are important drivers of regional development, both economically, as they attract tourism, and socially, as a cornerstone of regional identity. However, it is often difficult for sites with World Heritage status to mediate the concept of World Heritage to their local communities and to visitors and tourists.
HERITAGE ALIVE! nourishes a participatory, bottom-up approach bringing together a variety of actors, including stakeholders from the tourism sector, regional development and spatial planning agencies, local communities and local industries as well as educational and youth organisations.
Most approaches to mediate the stories of World Heritage sites have utilised new media and technologies in a static, top-down fashion. This leaves little room for active community participation. In contrast to these conventional methods, HERITAGE ALIVE! seeks to engage citizens and visitors actively in a cultural dialogue to increase their awareness and understanding of the value and meaning of the heritage and its regional contexts.


The HERITAGE ALIVE! partners represent a network of diverse heritage sites, united by one common goal

The HERITAGE ALIVE! network comprises partners from very diverse heritage sites. Some of the partner sites have World Heritage Status while others are aiming to be inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The difference in the contexts of the project partners is one of the strengths of HERITAGE ALIVE! Because, the partners of the network have the same goal: to develop, implement and transfer know-how about how to promote their cultural treasures and establish a dialogue between local people and visitors through using interactive media. Consequently, the partners’ work can become a model for many other similar heritage sites.
HERITAGE ALIVE! nourishes a participatory, bottom-up approach bringing together a variety of actors, including stakeholders from the tourism sector, regional development and spatial planning agencies, local communities and local industries as well as educational and youth organisations.
For visiting the partners, click below!
Salzburg Research Forschugsgesellschaft m.b.H., Salzburg, Austria
Department for the Preservation of the Historical City of Salzburg
Council of the Administrative District of Gorlice, Poland
Municipality of Urbino, Italy
Municipality of Hollókö, Hungary
Region of Ionian Islands, Corfu , Greece
CESAS - Centre for Economic and Social Analyses and Strategies,Kardjali, Bulgaria
Municipality of Kardjali, Bulgaria
Mioritics Association, Constanta, Romania

http://www.heritagealive.eu/reports