Descrição

HORIZON-CL2-2027-01-HERITAGE-06

Expected Outcomes

Projects under this topic are expected to deliver outcomes aligned with the integration of cultural tourism into sustainable development strategies. All proposals should contribute to the primary outcome and additionally to outcomes relevant to the selected focus area (Focus 1 or Focus 2):

• Evidence-based policy solutions: Policymakers gain research-backed recommendations and tools to integrate cultural tourism into regenerative sustainability, environmental protection, digital transformation, social inclusion, and gender equality strategies. This strengthens cultural tourism as a driver of sustainable development, enhances workforce skills, and improves working conditions. Coordinated dissemination and participatory policy co-creation are expected to maximise research impact and support implementation by stakeholders.

Focus 1: AI Integration and Strategic Foresight for Cultural Tourism Resilience

Projects under Focus 1 should explore the ethical integration of AI and emerging technologies to enhance the resilience, inclusivity, and sustainability of cultural tourism. Key objectives include:

• Developing analytical frameworks for AI-driven cultural tourism planning while preserving cultural authenticity and inclusivity.
• Creating AI-assisted foresight tools, including scenario planning and horizon scanning, to anticipate trends, challenges, and disruptions such as climate impacts, pandemics, or energy crises.
• Investigating AI applications for immersive cultural experiences, multilingual interpretation, visitor flow management, real-time heritage monitoring, and equitable personalization of cultural tourism.
• Engaging local communities, authorities, and cultural organisations in co-creating forward-looking sustainable tourism strategies through participatory AI-assisted methodologies.
• Leveraging public and private data infrastructures, including the European Data Space for Tourism, to support predictive analytics and proactive policy-making.

Focus 2: Cultural Tourism as a Catalyst for Sustainable Local Development

Projects under Focus 2 should aim to harness cultural tourism for inclusive and regenerative local development, particularly in emerging or less-developed destinations. Key objectives include:

• Designing adaptable, evidence-based models and frameworks for sustainable cultural tourism in low-income and underserved regions.
• Strengthening cross-border collaborations between EU and non-EU partners to enable knowledge transfer, upskilling, equitable benefit-sharing, and fair working conditions.
• Supporting creative entrepreneurial ecosystems and community integration in tourism decision-making through pilot projects, living labs, and demonstration initiatives.
• Establishing collaborative networks for small businesses and civil society actors to connect with researchers, policymakers, and industry expertise for co-created, culturally respectful tourism solutions.
• Promoting sustainable practices that balance economic growth, environmental stewardship, and cultural heritage preservation.

Scope

Cultural tourism constitutes nearly 40% of global tourism and continues to expand as travelers seek authentic, immersive experiences. Beyond economic benefits, it fosters cross-cultural understanding, social inclusion, and community development. However, the sector faces challenges from climate change, technological shifts, sustainability demands, environmental degradation, and threats to cultural integrity.

This topic encourages proposals to adopt a multidimensional approach, addressing technological, social, and environmental transformations while future-proofing cultural tourism across the EU and globally. Proposals must clearly indicate their chosen focus and ensure alignment with EU-funded research, best practices, and policy frameworks on cultural tourism and related sectors.

All projects are expected to:

• Integrate cultural tourism strategies with broader sustainability, digital transformation, and social inclusion goals.
• Employ co-creative policy development methods involving policymakers, local communities, NGOs, businesses, and industry stakeholders.
• Establish ongoing knowledge exchange mechanisms to ensure continuous research impact, policy uptake, and capacity building.