Development of sustainable cultural tourism within the framework of rural-urban partnerships.

Project period: 2022–2023

The members of the association participated in coordinating the network on issues relating to the development of regional tourism in rural and urban areas. A particular focus was on the relationships and synergies between rural and urban regions in the design of sustainable cultural tourism. Initially, municipal representatives, civil society representatives and sustainability experts from Ukraine, Moldova, Germany, Belarus and Uzbekistan met regularly on the Connective Cities platform. The international exchange on topics related to cultural tourism and sustainable regional development continued in further meetings.

Learning processes were carried out in which participants worked on current challenges, exchanged ideas on problems and developed new solutions and projects.

Particular importance was attached to knowledge transfer and the exchange of good practices on the topic of ‘sustainable cultural tourism’ within the network. This involved identifying and researching existing good practices relevant to the topic. There was an opportunity for discussion and additional expertise to supplement existing good practices. Good practices were examined as benchmarks and their usability and applicability was assessed. This resulted in a portfolio of good practices on the topic of sustainable regional tourism, which was disseminated throughout the global network.

The association members supported the working group’s regular exchange on specific topics within the Connective Cities global network, thereby gradually expanding the participation of the cities involved in the network.

New developments, challenges and insights from civil society and local authorities on tackling environmental problems, social inequality and the threat posed by right-wing extremist influences in Europe were also discussed. The virtual network addresses issues raised by the working groups and is open to both existing members of the network and new stakeholders. Networking takes place through various formats and activities, such as publications, virtual events, the publication of studies and exchange formats on key topics.