There is no doubt that Portugal harbours talent and creativity pursuing the chance to implement ideas that foster the development of rural areas in Portugal. A recent call for innovative and creative projects within the research project ‘Desenvolver Destinos de Turismo Criativo em Cidades de Pequena Dimensão e Áreas Rurais’ – CREATOUR – received over one hundred applications. Most originated from Northern and Central Portugal (NUTS II), especially private sector (companies) and third sector (associations) entities experienced in tourism. Prevailing areas were crafts, heritage and gourmet cuisine.

The concept behind CREATOUR  is to establish the grounds for the development of pilot-initiatives for creative tourism, in small cities or in rural areas, supported by a co-operative structure involving several institutions, from different sectors, in each covered area. The project will last 3 years and seeks to intertwine several industries – culture, creativity and tourism – through the development of an approach that integrates research and the practical implementation of creative tourism ideas. CREATOUR is a partnership between a wide array of research centres, including a team from ISCTE-IUL coordinated by Dinâmia’CET-IUL, and involving different local stakeholders from North- to Southern Portugal. Centro de Estudos Sociais de Coimbra (CES-UC) handles the national coordination of this project.

CREATOUR will release this set of proposals in an international conference attended by some of the most renowned experts in the area, discussing The State of the Art in Creative Tourism – Leading Research | Advanced Practices | Future Trajectories. This event will take place in Coimbra, on June 1-2 2017.

All those interested in the area of cultural development and creative tourism are welcome, from academia to the arts, including students and other professionals working in this area.