PA3_CLOSE – Recovery through CuLture, tOuriSm and peoplE-to-people contacts in the Danube Region

ongoingprojectoutputs

The project is structured along the following lines of action: - strengthening the involvement of Steering Group Members in the decision-making process regarding the development and improvement of the activities related to the EUSDR Action Plan - operationalizing PA3 Action Plan based on the roadmap developed within the previous application with a focus on the role of urban areas in the mobilization of culture and tourism resources, the linkages between challenges, trends related to culture and tourism and local development. The Project puts into practice the objectives of European strategies, such as ‘Culture & Cultural Heritage’ Partnership of the Urban Agenda and the New European Bauhaus initiative which promote culture and the preservation of urban landscapes and heritage not as an objective in itself, but it also as a powerful tool aimed at achieving social, ecological and economic goals. Also, the Territorial Agenda 2030 mentions that natural and cultural heritage are assets of local and regional development, which offer unique opportunities for development and a high-quality living environment. Both culture and tourism sectors, as well as urban areas were strongly affected by the pandemic (according to the studies carried out in the previous project). If large cities have the capacity to better cope with crisis situations and uphold measures to increase resilience, small and medium-sized cities require a targeted and coordinated policy approach in the fields of tourism, culture and urban development. Culture and tourism can positively drive local development, encouraging the establishment and development of new investments, providing sustainability to local businesses, thus securing the sustainability of the communities themselves - understanding new forms of tourism and cultural expressions to support youth participation and social inclusion, avoiding the digital divide and the amplification of inequalities between different types of territories.

Medium