PICTURE Final Conference

Session 6 - Friday 22nd September 2006

“European Capital of Culture” Programme

Impacts for Cultural Tourism Development

Edith Besson and Margaret Sutherland

Karlsruhe Research Centre and Queens University Belfast

• Launched in 1985 to promote ‘the richness and diversity of European cultures and the features they share and promote greater mutual acquaintance between EU citizens’ (EC 1999)

• Each year, at least 1 city is awarded the title and implements a year-long cultural programme 2007 - Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Sibiu, Romania

• Key criteria for selection: uniqueness of cultural and historic resources, European dimension, impact on urban development, quality of life and citizen participation

• Increasing number of cities interested in ECOC: national competitions for the title

Brief Background to the ECOC Programme

examine effectiveness of the bidding process at mobilising and coordinating resources - bringing together of expertise, finance, cultural base and in establishing common visions and partnerships to deliver a governance approach for managing cultural tourism.

Aim

PICTURE Research

Cork: Successful candidate for 2005 ECOC

Belfast: Unsuccessful candidate for 2008 ECOC

Karlsruhe: Unsuccessful candidate for 2010

Case Study cities

Luxembourg: Successful candidate for 2007

Lille: Successful candidate for 2004 ECOC

Rationale

• ECOC programme often presented as an ideal opportunity for cities to brand themselves as destinations, access funding and enhance European tourism profile Winning the title often involves a radical transformation of urban

practices and expensive outlay, without guarantee of success Research suggests that strategic planning must extend beyond the

cultural year if to contribute to long-term destination competitiveness

• Studies on ECOC have focused on ‘winning candidates’ Lack of literature on the impact of the bidding process on ‘failed’

candidates

• Cities that best benefited from the programme are those which focused on cultural tourism as a tool for European visibility and local development Still a lack of attention to the role of strategies and styles involved in the

winning process

Research Report D16 “Analysis of the Mobilising Role of the European City of Culture Process”

Research Methods

• Literature and Theory review completed• Comparative case study review of 5 cities (both successful and

unsuccessful bidding candidates)• Interviews conducted (Belfast, Cork, Karlsruhe)• Desk and web research (Lille, Belfast, Cork, Karlsruhe)• Resident survey of 1000 households conducted (Luxembourg)• Integration of survey results from Deliverable 6 (urban

governance)

Report D16

Assessment Criteria identified for Comparative City Review

• Strategic Vision and Planning

• Integration and valorisation of local cultural resources

• Identification of clear cultural tourism objectives

• Management structures and partnership development

• Legacy of the process and programme for the city and its residents

Summary of Findings from PICTURE research

• success in the bidding process not a pre- requisite to long term cultural tourism development - participation requires structured strategic approach which can be enough to mobilise cities

Belfast - the process triggered joint working, cross community discussion and a coming together of the city’s cultural resources

• The process requires an effective management and partnership structure to fully realise benefits

Lille, Luxembourg and Belfast prioritised these structures

• Involving local people fully and meaningfully can be key to success.

Lille “Ambassadeurs” programme. Cork’s international focus may have lost public support and alienated local groups

• Overall Legacy - impact on Cultural tourism development Identified by Belfast, Cork and Lille

PICTURE Final Conference

Session 6 - Friday 22nd September 2006

“European Capital of Culture” Programme

Impacts for Cultural Tourism Development

Edith Besson and Margaret Sutherland

Karlsruhe Research Centre and Queens University Belfast

Impacts for Cultural Tourism Development

Conclusions and Recommendations

• ECOC process provides important opportunity for synergy for culture and tourism, and an opportunity for collaboration between all the stakeholders

• the process has been found to provide a foundation for cities to build upon the resulting teamwork and partnerships to deliver a long term strategy for managing cultural tourism

• the definition of an urban cultural strategy, or creating favourable conditions for its development, is the best way to maximise the long term benefits of the ECOC bidding process

• Recommended for future cities embarking on the ECOC (or similar) bidding process that a city cultural tourism strategy should be adopted to ensure cross-sectoral dialogue, policy development and implementation.