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Past Conferences, Seminars, and Workshops


ICOMOS International Cultural Tourism Committee (ICTC) has a policy of working around the globe in partnership with ICOMOS National Committees (NCs) and/or by contributing to international conferences as well as holding our own round table meetings and international expert seminars. This section lists down past conferences organized by the ICTC.


ICOMOS Scientific Symposium 2021: Living Heritage and Climate Change

The workshop specifically focused on potentials and challenges to participatory and polycentric (decentralized and/or distributed) governance in cultural tourism for community resilience, with a specific attention to the draft ICOMOS International Cultural Tourism Charter 2021: Reinforcing cultural heritage protection and community resilience through responsible and sustainable tourism management. Established as well as emerging practices and methodologies, set out through customs and living traditions, or enabled through human centric technology and innovative networks embedded in cultural practices around the world will be presented. 

Documents: Brochure | Presentations

2021 – ICOMOS International Cultural Tourism Charter (2021): A Rights-Based Approach to Cultural Heritage Tourism
“Heritage Thursdays” webinar series of the ICOMOS Our Common Dignity- Right Based Approaches Workking Group (OCD-RBAWG) on October 28, 2021 


2021 – ICOMOS International Cultural Tourism Charters 1976-2021: evolution, contributions and trends towards heritage protection
ICOMOS International Scientific Committee for Theory and Philosophy of Conservation and Restoration (TEOPHILOS) Conference on Doctrinal texts – achievements, importance and future in the protection of heritage 90th anniversary of the Athens Charter. Florencia, September 13 – 14, 2021

Follow-up meeting to 2013 ICTC Sukhothai Study Tour, Sukhothai, Thailand, 21 – 23 September 2020

ICTC collaborated with the Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (DASTA) of Thailand for the Sukhothai 2020 Roundtables on Tourism, Heritage and Creative City. The conference with tourism authorities in Thailand to support the tourism planning and development in the post-COVID era for the Historic Town of Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns World Heritage site was held from September 21 to 23, 2020. Part of the discussions built on the contributions and report that the ICTC made during its 2013 Sukhothai Study Tour. ICTC's participation was led by ICTC Vice President Dr. Jaturong Pokharatsiri.

2020 – 6 ISCs Joint Meeting: Advanced Risk Management for the Shared Future
Fergus Maclaren served as the ICTC representative for the event that included representatives from ISCARSAH, ICORP, ISCES+CC and CIPA organized by ICOMOS Taiwan on 17 October 2020

ICTC members curated a one-day workshop programme with Tourism Perak on 10 September 10 2017 to develop marketing approaches with stakeholders for unique aspects of the state’s industrial and cultural heritage.

2017 – Cultural Heritage Conservation & Sustainable Tourism Expert Seminar and International Cultural Tourism Charter Review +20
ICOMOS ICTC International Expert Symposium & Workshop, Florence, Italy, 18 – 19 May 2017

This event included keynote speakers Peter DeBrine, World Heritage Sustainable Tourism Project (WHSTP) UNESCO and Jin-Yung Woo Adviser on Tourism and Culture UNWTO with delegates from Thailand, Mexico, USA and Europe. Following animated debate this two day event has produced a number of outcomes that are on-going. First, the “Florence Declaration” on Cultural Heritage Conservation & Sustainable Tourism for Development to be presented to ICOMOS 19th General Assembly in Delhi, December 2017; second, reaffirmation of the need to continue the Charter Review process and finally reinforcing the need for further research linking cultural heritage conservation & sustainable tourism to the implementation and measurement of the UNSDGs as a collegiate process with ICOMOS colleagues and with our partner organisations – UNESCO, UNWTO and IUCN.

2016 – Reinforcing the role of Cultural Tourism Management Planning to Sustain Biodiversity and Communities at Proposed Indigenous World Heritage Sites
ICOMOS ICTC Knowledge Café at the IUCN World Congress Planet at the Crossroads, Hawai’i, USA, 1 – 10 September 2016

ICTC’s involvement with the nature-culture journey and working with representatives from indigenous communities is long established and is referred to in our 1999 Charter www.icomos.org/charters . The significance of these essential interrelationships is highlighted by our recent ICTC research in the Seychelles 2015, Tuscany Italy 2014, Sukhothai Thailand 2013 & Ifugao, Philippines 2012. And the debates have moved on. They have moved centre stage with the adoption of the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030 and publication of ICOMOS’s joint report with IUCN on the Connecting Practice Project which is working towards a connected approach to considering nature and culture under the World Heritage Convention www.iucn.org/about/work/…/wcpa…/linking_culture_nature/ .
2016 – Who benefits? Who cares? From the Fairy Chimneys to Fairy Tales and Consuming Passions
The Development of Cultural Tourism in Cappadocia National Park UNESCO World Heritage Site & its Surroundings

An exploration of the reconstruction of cultural, natural and historic values of heritage for the visitor economy co-organised by ICTC & ICOMOS Turkey, 20-25 October 2016. This workshop was postponed due to political uncertainties in the region at the time.

2015 – World Heritage & Cultural Tourism Development – Inclusive Approaches to Dissonant Heritage & Conflicting Interpretation
Culture & Development in the African Region of the Seychelles, Mauritius & Reunion, 19-23 October 2015

The seminar included representation from the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF), and was co-organised by ICOMOS ICTC & ICOMOS Seychelles, sponsored by the Seychelles Ministry of Culture & Tourism.

The framework of the Expert Seminar focussed on the context of the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030. Five five main sub-themes were covered within the overarching theme of Culture & Development.
  • Supporting UNESCO World Heritage nominations upstream
  • Examining the relationship between natural and cultural heritage sites
  • Determining the role of communities in uninhabited areas
  • Investigating the part played by interpretation in tackling issues of contested / conflicting identities – including slavery and colonisation
  • Bringing together the tangible and intangible heritage in sustainable tourism development
Document: Workshop Report

2015 – Timber Heritage and Cultural Tourism: Values, Innovation and Visitor Management
ICOMOS Thailand International Conference, Bangkok, Thailand 6 – 9 November 2015

In collaboration with International Cultural Tourism Committee (ICOMOS-ICTC) & International Committee of Vernacular Architecture (ICOMOS-CIAV) Sponsored by the Fines Art Department, Chulalongkorn University and the Ministry of Culture, Bangkok, Thailand.

Document: Conference Proceedings

2014 – Creative Cities as World Heritage Tourist Destinations
ICOMOS ICTC Roundtable Meeting, Florence, Italy 9 -12 March 2014

Our discussions focused on key issues impacting on cultural heritage conservation & protection and the visitor & community interface. We examined what strategic and operational planning and management leads to positive cultural interaction and why and when there is disengagement amongst tourists and local people from the cultural heritage they either live within or experience as tourists, ultimately leading to dystopia. In addition, we undertook an appraisal of current international doctrines in order to assess requirements for guidance in the 21st century including ICOMOS International Cultural Tourism Charter, ICOMOS Valetta Principles, and UNESCO Recommendation on Historic Urban Landscapes. The UNESCO World Heritage City of Florence was our case study.

2014 – Palladio, Architecture and the Veneto Landscape, Milan to Venice & Slow Food Slow Tourism, Greve in Chianti, Volterra & Siena
ICOMOS ICTC Study Visits, Italy, 1–7 November 2014

ICOMOS ICTC pre-conference study visits before ICOMOS 18th General Assembly, Florence 2014. Part 1 was an itinerary – a cultural route – focusing on the historic cities of Milan, Vicenza, Padua and Venice and Palladian architecture of the Venice region; whereas Part 2 explored the Tuscan lifestyle and ‘Terroir’ as a different kind of cultural tourism practice.

2013 – Living Heritage: Creative Tourism and Sustainable Communities: Education, Interpretation, and Management
ICOMOS ICTC & ICOMOS Thailand International Cultural Tourism Expert Symposium & Workshop, Sukhothai UNESCO World Heritage site, Thailand, 7-11October, 2013

An event co-organized by ICOMOS ICTC, ICOMOS Thailand, Faculty of Architecture and Planning, Thammasat University (APTU) Thailand; and the sponsored by Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration, or DASTA Thailand, a public organization under supervision of the Office of the Prime Minister.

The settlements attached to the Sukhothai – Si Satchanalai – Kamphaeng Phet Historical Parks have been designated a special area for sustainable tourism development by DASTA. One key priority was identified: ensuring the continuation and integrity of cultural values alongside – and integral to – the earliest stages of tourism development. ICTC responded to the urgent need for researchers and experts to work with the local communities – and before major infrastructure had been constructed.

Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991. An ancient kingdom during the 13th and 14th centuries, Sukhothai was located at a strategic crossroad and prospered as a centre of trade. The civilization which involved in the Kingdom of Sukhothai rapidly absorbed numerous external influences and by incorporating them with ancient local traditions forged what is known as the ‘Sukhothai style’.

Apart from historic monuments and archaeological sites, Sukhothai also produces fine quality and prominent ceramics, goldsmith-silversmith crafts and ethnic textile works, among other living traditions and intangible heritages. Policy planning for the sustainable development and the integration of cultural heritage education, interpretation and management processes was non-existent at the time of our visit.

Expert working session in Sukhothai: ICTC delegates with colleagues from ICOMOS Thailand, USA and Indonesia.

Document: Summary Report

2012 – Cultural Tourism for Community Development: 40 Years of the World Heritage Convention
ICOMOS ICTC & ICOMOS Philippines International Conference Vigan, Philippines, 5-10 November 2012

Vigan is ‘the best-preserved example of a planned Spanish colonial town in Asia’ inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1999; and is an emergent tourism destination. The City of Vigan was awarded a UNESCO certificate for “Best Practice in World Heritage Site Management” in 2012 during the week of our conference.


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