Report on UNESCO's awareness raising and capacity building actions in the SmartCulTour Living Labs

UNESCO's capacity-building initiatives within the SmartCulTour Living Labs, spanning six regions including Vicenza (Italy), demonstrated that participatory and context-specific approaches can effectively integrate culture and tourism into sustainable local development. The report highlights the importance of stakeholder engagement in tailoring training programs to address knowledge gaps and foster dialogue among diverse actors, such as destination management organizations (DMOs) and cultural heritage practitioners. Preliminary findings suggest that while immediate impacts are limited, these initiatives lay a foundation for long-term, scalable improvements in cultural tourism performance. The study underscores the potential of soft capacity-building methods—focusing on networking and exchange—to drive sustainable growth at regional levels.

Fidelbo, C., Rosati, M., Debrine, P., Nikolić Đerić, T., Petrić, L., Mandić, A., Björn, E., Lozano, D., Kerst, I., Neuts, B., Lioce, R., & Bettin, M. (2023). Report on UNESCO's awareness raising and capacity building actions in the SmartCulTour Living Labs. https://doi.org/10.5281/ZENODO.8080105