CREATOUR - Creative Tourism Destination Development in Small Cities and Rural Areas
Period:
	November 1, 2016 to June 30, 2020
Duration:
	44 months
Abstract
	CREATOUR is an incubator/demonstration and multidisciplinary research initiative, supporting collaborative research processes involving five research centres working with a range of cultural/creative organizations and other stakeholders located in small cities in the Norte, Centro, Alentejo and Algarve regions. The project is coordinated by CES with the following partners: the Interdisciplinary Centre for History, Cultures and Societies (CIDEHUS), University of Évora; the Research Centre on Space and Organization (CIEO), University of the Algarve; DINÂMIA'CET, Centre for the Study of Socioeconomic Change and Territory, at ISCTE-IUL; and the Laboratory on Landscape, Heritage and Territory (Lab2PT), University of Minho. The overall objective of CREATOUR is to develop and pilot an integrated approach and research agenda for creative tourism in small cities and rural areas in Portugal, developing strong links within and amongst regions. Building on a twofold approach, CREATOUR intertwines Theory and Experimentation, combining multidisciplinary theoretical and methodological frameworks, cultural mapping, and benchmarking exercises with the development of an array of Pilots, or creative tourism case studies. The project is informed by theoretical and methodological approaches from cultural/creative sector development, tourism, and regional development. It is organized using the key dimensions of support to enhance value for creative sector development as a framework: 1) build knowledge and capacity, 2) support content development and link creativity to place, and 3) strengthen network and cluster formation. CREATOUR aims to produce policy recommendations and strategies, particularly focusing on networking and clustering as key options for continued development.   This work is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) through the COMPETE 2020 - Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation (POCI), Regional Operational Programmes of Lisboa and Algarve, and by Portuguese funds through FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, within the scope of CREATOUR project, nº 016437. Total Funding: 1.846.169,77€ FEDER funding: 1.333.925,80€ National Funding (OE): 512.243,97€ COMPETE 2020: 1.274.948,37€ POR Lisboa: 353.910,17€ POR Algarve: 217.311,23€
Results
	The project will advance knowledge of the creative/cultural and tourism sectors in small cities and rural areas of Portugal; catalyze the development of a network of 40 creative tourism offers; design professional development and co-learning events through regional and national IdeaLabs; evaluate the development, reception, and impacts of the creative tourism pilots; organize three annual international conferences; and develop advanced training courses and a range of publications directed to researchers, practitioners, and policy-makers.
Funding Body
	Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia  COMPETE2020 Programa Operacional Regional de Lisboa Programa Operacional Regional do Algarve
Partners
	CIDEHUS - Centro Interdisciplinar de História, Culturas e Sociedades da Universidade de Évora CIEO -Centro de Investigação sobre Espaço e Organizações, Universidade do Algarve DINÂMIA'CET – IUL, Centro de Estudos sobre a Mudança Socioeconómica e o Território Lab2PT, Landscape, Heritage and Territory Laboratory, Universidade do Minho
Researchers:
	Alexandra Rodrigues Gonçalves, CIEO, Universidade do Algarve Ana Maria Ferreira, CIDEHUS, Universidade de Évora Ana Rita Cruz, DINAMIA'CET, ISCTE-IUL Carlos Fortuna Cláudia Pato de Carvalho Fiona Bakas Isabel Vaz de Freitas, Lab2PT, Universidade do Minho Jaime Serra, CIDEHUS, Universidade de Évora João Filipe Marques, CIEO, Universidade do Algarve Josefina Salvado, CIDEHUS, Universidade de Évora Juliana Araújo Alves, Lab2PT, Universidade do Minho Lorena Sancho Querol Margarida Perestrelo, DINAMIA'CET, ISCTE-IUL Maria Assunção Gato, DINAMIA'CET, ISCTE-IUL Maria Cadarso, DINÂMIA'CET, ISCTE-IUL Maria Noémi Marujo, CIDEHUS, Universidade de Évora Miguel Nuno Marques Pereira, Lab2PT, Universidade do Minho Mirian Tavares, CIEO, Universidade do Algarve Miroslav Valeriu Tascu-Stavre Nancy Duxbury (coord) Olga Maria Pinto de Matos, Lab2PT, Universidade do Minho Paula Remoaldo, Lab2PT, Universidade do Minho Paulo Peixoto Pedro Costa, DINAMIA'CET, ISCTE-IUL Ricardo Gôja, Lab2PT, Universidade do Minho Sara Albino, CIDEHUS, Universidade de Évora Sílvia Silva Sónia Cabeça, CIEO, Universidade do Algarve Tiago Vinagre Castro Vítor Patrício Rodrigues Ribeiro, Lab2PT, Universidade do Minho
Website
	https://creatour.pt/
Keywords
	creative tourism, cultural and creative industries, tourism diversification, small city and rural economic development