Dear Readers,
In these days of turbulence, uncertainty, and distress we feel very grateful, as members of TExTOUR project, to be part of the European Community. We are proud to be part of a consortium with a Ukrainian partner, and this brings with it immense responsibility. Therefore, we want to help much more than when we started the project a little over a year ago.
During the last months, we have completed our first work package on participatory approach and global framework for cultural tourism development TExTOUR reached its first milestone with the release of the project website and social media channels. TExTOUR successfully went through its first periodic review carried out by the Commission together with a panel of experts.
The project entered in a very productive phase, taking part in multiple communication events in Greece, Cyprus, Anfeh or Trebinje. TExTOUR’s pilots has been working hard with their local communities to identify the main stakeholder groups, to set the basis for cultural strategy studies and define a methodology to measure these strategies. This is a crucial step for all future work packages and the second work package, aiming at defining the strategic actions KPIs, is going to be finalised soon.
After one year of working together remotely, we are happy to share that TExTOUR’s first hybrid project meeting took place in November in Katowice (Poland). Even if not all partners were able to join in person, this meeting was the occasion to bring the partners together, reinforcing their bonds, enhancing collaboration and fostering the creation of a stronger network. Tarnowskie Góry partners made a great effort to organise the meeting and to share the beautiful heritage of the Upper Silesia Region that we all appreciated and enjoyed.
To conclude I would like to recall the theme of the project "TExTOUR is an EU-funded project which co-designs pioneering and sustainable cultural tourism strategies to improve deprived areas in Europe and beyond", today I would like to emphasise that “beyond” is more important than ever for us. We are grateful that you readers are part of our intense journey through cultural tourism in our European territories and BEYOND.
Daniel Basulto
Fundación Santa María la Real
Project coordinator |