ICTC develops Cultural Tourism and Visitor Management (CT&VM) Framework for OWHC

The Cultural Tourism and Visitor Management (CT&VM) Framework is a tool developed by the ICOMOS International Cultural Tourism Committee (ICTC) for the Organization of World Heritage Cities (OWHC). It is a self-assessment tool which may be used as a strategic asset to aid the local authorities in identifying target outcomes and actions for the establishment of policies and operational strategies.

The CT&VM Framework represents an integrated approach that aligns and fuses the ICOMOS International Cultural Heritage Tourism Charter (2022), UNESCO’s Visitor Management Assessment and Strategy Tool (VMAST) and the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs). The Framework applies these tools to identify and frame different aspects of cultural tourism that can benefit local communities, protect a site’s Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), and localize the UNSDGs. 

The publication online of the CT&VM Framework was done on September 5, 2023, making available this tool to all OWHC member cities. It is promoted as a strategic asset they may use at their disposal to aid the local authorities in identifying target outcomes and actions for the establishment of policies and operational strategies. The CT&VM Framework specifically supports a systematic and inclusive approach to formulate recommendations for the elaboration and implementation of strategies for adaptive and proactive site and destination management, enhancing community resilience and heritage protection.

The ICTC team that developed the CT&VM Framework was composed of Fergus Maclaren, Bartomeu Deya, Cecilie Smith-Christensen, Dr. Hilary du Cros, Issa Torres, and Dr. Ivan Anthony Henares.

Documents: CT&VM Framework | CT&VM Framework Workbook