The Declaration

The Barcelona Declaration "Better Places to Live, Better Places to Visit" seeks to demonstrate what tourism and cultural heritage sectors can achieve by working more closely together, for the benefit of European citizens and cultural heritage as well as businesses, visitors and destinations. Moreover, it assumes the collective commitment of both sectors towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Download the Declaration

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Sign the Declaration

We invite all those who care for Tourism of tomorrow to sign, support and widely share the Declaration.

Regenerative Tourism

In 2018, the Barcelona Declaration “Better Places to Live Better Places to Visit” was created from the willingness of NECSTouR members to respond to the residents’ concerns about the uses of territorial assets for tourism activity. Since then, local community wellbeing as well as the climate emergency and business innovation are driving the transformation of NECSTouR members' tourism strategies. This is also reflected in their governance models and marketing focus, moving from a sustainable tourism approach to a regenerative, value-driven model.

Regenerative Tourism Conference

Regenerative Tourism Conference

Considering the important moment of reflection and transformation of tourism models to regenerative tourism ones, Catalonia and NECSTouR organised the Conference “Regenerative Tourism contributing to the wellbeing of the community”. The event was a day of reflection aiming to inspire, share and learn how tourism destinations and businesses are working towards a “value driven” tourism model wishing to contribute to the wellbeing of the community (society, environment and business), the so called “Regenerative Tourism”. This offered a source of inspiration and showcased how territories could deliver on the targets of the Tourism Transition Pathway

Find the full recordings here.

Regenerative Tourism Conference Documents

The Background

The Barcelona Declaration acknowledges previous existing declarations and documents related to tourism and cultural heritage from bodies such as Council of Europe, European Commission, Europa Nostra, European Cultural Tourism Network (ECTN), International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), among others.

MOMENTUM

2018 European Year of Cultural Heritage (EYCH). Acknowledging the unique momentum of the 2018 European Year of Cultural Heritage, NECSTouR - the European Network of Regions for Competitive and Sustainable Tourism - took the initiative to establish a Pan European Dialogue to foster greater synergy between tourism and cultural stakeholders.

EYCH

Key Events:

  • 19th April 2018: High level event in Barcelona organized by NECSTouR and the Region Catalonia “Better Places to Be, Better Places to Visit” aiming at setting up the Pan European dialogue on cultural heritage and tourism and present the first draft of the Barcelona Declaration to be upgraded along the year.

 

  • 11th October 2018: Thematic Conference in Brussels organized by NECSTouR and the Region of Galicia, hosted by Fundación Galicia Europa “Local-led initiatives on Tourism and Cultural Heritage: a Legacy for Europe” aiming at showcasing existing regional initiatives, gathering the EU institutions reflections on tourism and cultural heritage after the 2018 EYCH and releasing the final version of the Barcelona Declaration.
BCN
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News and Best Practices

A new intern in NECSTouR to support the Implementation of the Barcelona Declaration

 

My name is Xiana Vilar Sopeña and for the next 9 months I will be the new NECSTouR trainee, supporting the Permanent Secretariat and the Working Group on Cultural Tourism with the implementation and dissemination of the Barcelona Declaration “Better Places to Live, Better Places to Visit”, as the NECSTouR legacy for the 2018 European Year of Cultural Heritage.

How to Manage Cultural Sustainable Destinations without Borders? NECSTouR Reflections at the International Summit by the Responsible Tourism Institute

 

The Responsible Tourism Institute - together with the Historical Villages of Portugal and the Portuguese Tourism Agency and with the support of NECSTouR - organised in Idanha-a-Velha (Portugal) on the 15-17 November the International Summit "Cultural Sustainable Destinations without Borders".

The Barcelona Declaration Presented to the European Network of UNESCO Sites

 

On the 3rd of October, Mr Tomaso Comazzi from the NECSTouR Permanent Secretariat has been invited to present the NECSTouR experiences and initiatives on the development of a Competitive and Sustainable Tourism at the European Level to 20 representatives of the European Network of Unesco Sites (Mirabilia).

NECSTouR President Presents in Belfast on how Maximising the Impact of Tourism on Local Neighbourhoods

 

Mr Patrick Torrent - NECSTouR President, Catalonia Region - intervened during a session on ‘Maximising the Impact of Tourism on Local Neighbourhoods’, organised at The Sta Mary’s University College campus on the Falls Road (West Belfast) on the 8th of August.

NECSTouR shares examples on the Contribution of Tourism to Social and Cultural Sustainability

 

NECSTouR contributed to the Interactive Workshop about the "Contribution of Tourism Promotion to Cultural Heritage", organised by the European Travel Commission (ETC) on the 21st of June in Berlin and supported by Europa Nostra.

NECSTouR's Vision on a Well Balanced Tourism Promotion Presented at the AITR's Debate on the "Overtourism"

 

The Italian Association of Responsible Tourism (AITR) - an Associate Member of NECSTouR - organised in the framework of the ITACA Festival in Bologna a roundtable on the so-called "overtourism" with the title "Inhabitants VS Tourists: Responsible Tourism showing the Way".

Media Coverage

Upcoming Events
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Annual General Meeting 2024

NECSTouR General Assembly Meeting 2024 (AGM) will take place on 21-23 May 2024 in Luleå, in the Swedish Lapland.

The event will be hosted and co-organised by the Swedish Lapland Visitors Board.

Website of the event

Read More

Contact Us

- If you have any questions about the Barcelona Declaration, do not hesitate to get in touch with our team.

A LEGACY FOR THE FUTURE

This Declaration aims to remain an open initiative, welcoming all stakeholders willing to engage with this commitment.

At this purpose, this webpage under NECSTouR website has been developed in order to promote the Declaration, give visibility to the supporters and gather good practices that can illustrate the implementation of the five principles.

We invite you to spread the voice by using #PlacestoLiveandVisit and to become a supporter of the initiative.

A LEGACY FOR THE FUTURE

Support the Declaration

We invite all those who care for Tourism of tomorrow to sign, support and widely share the Declaration.

INVOLVED ORGANISATIONS

INVOLVED ORGANISATIONS

This initiative has been leaded by NECSTouR members of the Working Group on Cultural Tourism and Sustainability. A special recognition to the regions of Galicia, Catalonia, Andalusia, Flanders, Île-de-France, Limburg, Tuscany, Valencia and Visit Scotland, as well as the University of Girona.


The Declaration has been developed by NECSTouR members in cooperation with Europa Nostra, the European Travel Commission and the European Cultural Tourism Network, with the support of the European Heritage Alliance 3.3.


The Open Method Coordination group on Sustainable Cultural Tourism from DG EAC (European Commission) as well as the European Network for Culture and Creative Industries – RICC have also contributed to the text.

 

BROAD ENDORSEMENT

This initiative gathered the support of the Member of the European Parliament, Mr. Francisco José Millán Mon, the NAT Commission of the European Committee of the Regions, the European Commission DG – EAC, as well as other 20 individuals, from the Tourism sector.

#PlacestoLiveandVisit in Numbers

19

Supporting Organisations

34

Supporting Individuals

5

Events in 2019

400

mentions on Social Media #PlacestoLiveandVisit

Supporting Organisations