Code of Ethics & Best Practices

  • The creative tourism offers a great potential to create a value chain for the territories, as far as its Code of Ethics and Best Practices are respected.
    That’s why the Creative Tourism Network® works hand-in-hand with researchers, practitioners and decision-makers, in order to define the principles that enable not only to advocate from any negative externality due to the tourism activity, but that allow, on the opposite, create an eco-system and a virtuous circle for the local and global environment.

This work-in-progress is a collaborative one, for which we invite you to submit your own principles and Best Practices on Creative Tourism.

The charter will be regularly updated and published in this page.

We also invite you to apply for the Creative Tourism Awards, that reward every year the projects that demonstrates a good application of such principles.


Best practices for creative tourism

  • DESTINATION AND DNA

Local traditions should be respected, preserved, and promoted through creative tourism.
Creative destinations have to propose authentic activities and workshops, that are centred around the city or region’s DNA.
The goal of creative tourism is to promote and teach the local culture to tourists and locals alike. Teaching them how to make and produce crafts must be part of the tourist experience.

  • SUSTAINABILITY

Environmental: eco-tourism should be practiced and promoted as much as possible.
Social: creative tourism should be beneficial to all actors involved: tourists, craftsmen, locals, institutions…
Cultural: the products that are created are not simple products, but cultural goods, and they should promote the destination’s heritage.

  • ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND WORKING CONDITIONS

High quality trainings and formations should be provided, as well as good working conditions for craftsmen and apprentices. The craft sector should be valued and brought forward.
Primary and secondary economic sectors should also be involved in creative tourism, as they are deeply linked to the craft sector.
Local institutions should help the city or region develop its economy by favouring employment, creating new jobs, and providing new equipment for craftsmen and apprentices.

  • TOURIST’S INTEGRATION

Tourists should actively participate in the (co-)creation of the product and learn something about the city/region and its specific know-how during their stay.
Activities should be diverse and inclusive: children, women, people with low incomes, ethnic and lgbt minorities, people with disabilities…should all be able to participate to all activities. Similarly, tourists have to be curious and respectful towards the locals and their culture.

  • EMPOWERMENT AND SOLIDARITY

The artists and craftsmen should be involved in the decision-making process regarding tourism matters.
Information and trainings regarding local heritage can be organized: it is important for locals and craftsmen to be aware of their intangible heritage, value it, and be proud of it.
It is important to exchange know-how, concept, and ideas in communities. A value chain needs to be created between all local actors.
It is important to keep the locals’ opinion in mind and be aware of the repercussions of tourism on the destination.
Social media must be used in order to connect with tourists, other CreativeFriendlyDestinations© and the Creative Tourism Network®. It is important to allow tourists and locals to send feedback, and to collect and exchange ideas with other members.

 

2010 - I International Conference on Creative Tourism - Barcelona-2INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CREATIVE TOURISM, BARCELONA, DEC. 2010

The redaction of the “Best Practices of Creative Tourism” started within the International Conference of Creative Tourism, held in Barcelona in December 9th-10th of 2010.
It deals with a work-in-progress in which you can take part by sending your proposals to:
info@creativetourismnetwork.org

IMG_4508BARCELONA EXPERT MEETING, JUNE, 13TH-14TH 2013

Experts from many countries took part in this meeting held in Barcelona in June 13-14th of 2013, organized by ATLAS with the Creative Tourism Network® and headed by the Professor Greg Richards.
Cases of creative tourism from Catalonia, The Netherlands, Hungary, Portugal, Italy, UK, Denmark, Brazil, the USA and Thailand were discussed during this fruitful sessions in which the experts also worked on the “Best Practices of Creative Tourism“.

premi2BEST INITIATIVE ON RESPONSIBLE TOURISM

The Creative Tourism Network®, was awarded “BEST INITIATIVE OF RESPONSIBLE TOURISM 2013” FOR ITS CODE OF ETHICS OF THE CREATIVE TOURISM SECTOR from the 7th International Conference on Responsible Tourism.
(www.rtd7.org)

THEY SAID ABOUT CREATIVE TOURISM:

  • “Creative tourism does not conform to a single model or perspective, but is rather open and flexible in its adaptation to local contexts”. (Richards and Marques, 2012)
  • “One important aspect is the focus on the process and the contexts more than on the final product, participation, involvement and engagement both from tourists and service providers are features of the co-creation process (Prahalad and Ramaswamy, 2004) where meaningful experiences are constructed. The local community is vital in this process.” (Richards and Marques, 2012)
  • “Without the involvement and participation of the local community, creative tourism would not be difficult, if not impossible, since it emerges in the intermingled spaces of the encounter between tourists and locals.” (Richards and Marques, 2012)
  • “Creative Tourism is a form of networked tourism, which depends on the ability of producers and consumers to relate each other and to generate value from their encounters.” (Richards and Marques, 2012)