Creative Tourism Featured at UNESCO House Exhibition

To commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, UNESCO Headquarters hosted the exhibition “Celebrating Caribbean Diversity: the Journey of the UNESCO–European Union Transcultura Programme”. Inaugurated on 17 June by Anne Lemaistre, Director of UNESCO’s Regional Office in Havana, Christina Kokkinakis, EU Ambassador to UNESCO, and Ernesto Ottone R., UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture, the event showcased five years of cultural cooperation, creativity, and youth empowerment.

Creative Tourism Takes Center Stage
A dedicated panel within the exhibition spotlighted creative tourism as a vital and forward-thinking pillar of the Transcultura programme. It highlighted how community-driven cultural tourism initiatives are enabling Caribbean youth to offer authentic, engaging travel experiences rooted in heritage, storytelling, and creativity.

An Honored Collaboration
The exhibition proudly reflected the collaboration with the Creative Tourism Network®, whose Director Caroline Couret attended the event. Couret warmly congratulated the Transcultura team, praising their brilliant work and well-deserved achievement in fostering inclusive, culturally grounded development.

As part of its contribution to the programme, the Creative Tourism Network® led two Creative Tourism Capacity-Building and Training Workshops—the first held in Grenada from 25 to 28 February, and the second in St. Vincent & The Grenadines from 17 to 21 March. In addition, the Network provided a period of personalized mentoring designed to empower young cultural professionals and tourism entrepreneurs across the Caribbean. These initiatives helped participants transform creative assets into meaningful, market-ready tourism experiences—benefiting both visitors and local communities through sustainable and culturally rich offerings.

A musical performance by members of La Banda Transcultura—directed by prestigious Cuban musician Roberto Fonseca—brought the exhibition to life. Their vibrant piece showcased the region’s extraordinary talent and embodied the spirit of intercultural dialogue championed by the programme.

Transcultura: Building Bridges Through Culture
Supported by €15 million from the European Union, Transcultura has empowered more than 2,700 young creatives from 17 Caribbean countries between 2020 and 2025. With initiatives such as training, market access, entrepreneurship support, and creative tourism, the programme continues to demonstrate culture’s power to connect communities and drive sustainable development.