Future-proofing sustainable cultural tourism

Expected Outcome:

Projects should contribute to the first expected outcome, plus those under either Focus 1 or Focus 2, depending on the chosen focus

• Evidence-based policy recommendations and solutions for integrating cultural tourism into strategies for regenerative sustainability, environmental protection (for example, from degradation or biodiversity loss), digital transformation, social inclusion and gender equality at all levels of government. As a result, cultural tourism becomes a stronger driver of regenerative sustainable development, increases workforce numbers and skills, and improves working conditions. Research impact is maximised through coordinated dissemination and policy co-creation, facilitating implementation of research-based solutions by policymakers and stakeholders.

Focus 1

• A comprehensive analytical framework for ethical AI integration in sustainable cultural tourism balancing sustainable competitiveness with cultural authenticity and inclusivity.

• Methodological frameworks and tools for AI-assisted foresight in cultural tourism enabling policymakers, civil society and stakeholders to anticipate changes and adapt strategies proactively.

Focus 2

• Evidence-based, community-centric models and strategies for sustainable cultural tourism in emerging and less-developed destinations, adaptable to diverse contexts within and beyond the EU.

• An international collaborative network for small business and civil society in cultural tourism, focused on cross-border partnerships, regenerative practices and equitable benefit-sharing. This network will connect stakeholders with researchers, policymakers, expertise, and resources to co-create culturally respectful, regenerative cultural tourism models and improve workforce conditions in underserved regions.

Scope:

Cultural tourism accounts for about 40% of global tourism[1] and continues to grow as travellers seek unique, authentic, and immersive experiences. In addition to its economic benefits, cultural tourism enriches societies through cultural exchange and cross-cultural understanding. The sector faces major transformation driven by technological advancement, shifting consumer expectations, climate change, sustainability imperatives, environmental degradation and threats to cultural integrity – including commodification and heritage degradation. Furthermore, there is a growing emphasis on inclusive and meaningful travel experiences, including accessibility for travellers with disabilities and others with specific needs. This topic takes a multidimensional approach to future-proofing sustainable cultural tourism amid technological, social and environmental change across the EU and beyond. Proposals should select either Focus 1 or Focus 2 and clearly state their selection:

Focus 1: Transformative AI integration and strategic foresight for cultural tourism resilience

Proposals are expected to explore how integrating AI-powered tools and other emerging technologies with cultural tourism can strengthen its resilience, inclusivity, and sustainability. Additionally, through AI-assisted participatory foresight proposals should address the need for tourism systems to move from reactive management to anticipatory governance models, building resilience to global challenges.

Proposals should investigate AI applications that reshape cultural tourism experiences while ensuring that they remain authentic and respectful of local integrity; enhance inclusivity, including equal access to technology and improved accessibility for persons with disabilities; help manage visitor pressure. They could leverage available public and private data and infrastructures, such as the European Data space for Tourism.[2] Building on recent developments in AI and immersive technologies, proposals could for example use AI-powered virtual and augmented reality to boost visitor engagement and cross-cultural appreciation of cultural sites while preserving historical integrity. They should investigate novel approaches to AI-driven personalisation that develop inclusive, non-discriminatory, tailored cultural experiences, which are ethically managed, and ensure fair representation of minority or lesser-known heritage and cultural expressions.

Proposals could analyse the integration of AI in multilingual interpretation and cultural mediation to overcome language barriers and deepen cultural understanding of local contexts or develop and refine AI-powered tools for visitor flow management, real-time heritage monitoring, and balancing preservation with inclusive tourism.

Furthermore, proposals are expected to develop methodological frameworks for applying AI-assisted foresight (scenario planning, horizon scanning, among others to anticipate trends and challenges in cultural tourism – such as shifts in visitor behaviour, cultural commodification risks, and potential disruptions (eg related to climate, pandemics, energy crises), enabling the identification of opportunities and risks and fostering proactive, data-informed policy responses. AI-based predictive analytics should be combined with participatory workshops to engage local communities, authorities, and cultural organisations in co-creating forward-looking sustainable tourism strategies.

Focus 2: Cultural tourism as a catalyst for sustainable local development

Proposals are expected to develop sustainable cultural tourism frameworks and strategies tailored to emerging and less-developed destinations, especially in low-income and lesser-known regions seeking to leverage culture and creativity for economic growth and social development, including through addressing depopulation and preventing overtourism. These frameworks may foster creative entrepreneurial ecosystems for regional development. Partnerships with non-EU countries are encouraged. Proposals should investigate cross-border collaboration models that enable mutual learning, upskilling, fair working conditions, knowledge transfer and capacity building between EU and non-EU partners. Proposals should identify and adapt proven sustainable cultural tourism models to diverse less-developed settings (urban, peri-urban, rural) emphasizing equitable benefit-sharing. The research should include the analysis of case studies of successful community integration in cultural tourism decision-making. Partnerships among local communities, creative industries (including crafts), local businesses and cultural heritage organisations should be prioritised to co-create economically viable, environmentally balanced, authentic and culturally respectful tourism offerings, potentially using living labs and pilot demonstrations. Projects are expected to establish collaborative networks for small businesses and civil society actors in cultural tourism, supporting them through access to researchers, policymakers, expertise, knowledge, resources and collaborative opportunities.

Regardless of focus, all proposals should ensure cooperation with and policy uptake of existing knowledge, tools, and best practices from past and ongoing EU-funded research on cultural tourism and related areas[3]. They should develop frameworks integrating cultural tourism with broader sustainability, digital transformation, and social inclusion goals. Furthermore, they should create co-creative policy development methodologies involving diverse stakeholders (policymakers across various government levels, local communities, NGOs, businesses, industry) to translate research insights into evidence-based strategies and contextually appropriate interventions boosting cultural tourism as a resource for sustainable development and fostering workforce growth and skills, and improved working conditions in cultural tourism. Finally, they should establish continuous knowledge exchange mechanisms among researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to ensure ongoing relevance and impact.

[1] UN World Tourism Organization (2018), Tourism and Culture Synergies, p. 21.

https://www.e-unwto.org/doi/epdf/10.18111/9789284418978

[2] https://hadea.ec.europa.eu/calls-proposals/data-space-tourism_en

[3] This includes projects funded by Cluster 6 topic HORIZON-CL6-2024-COMMUNITIES-02-2-two-stage: New sustainable business and production models for farmers and rural communities.