Invited to coordinate the Tourism and Heritage panel for the Cuenca Ciudad para Vivir Collective.

🗓️ Last Wednesday, Dr. Karina Farfán, PhD, director of the PREIT-tour research group, was invited by the Cuenca Ciudad para Vivir collective to coordinate the thematic table on Tourism and Heritage, as part of the commemoration of 25 years since Cuenca’s designation as a World Heritage Site. This event provided a critical space for dialogue on the future of tourism and its impact on heritage conservation.

📍 An enriching workshopThe discussion revolved around the notion that well-planned and managed tourism can become a driver of progress and sustainable development. However, it also highlighted that when tourism solely caters to the logics of power and capital, it can destroy the very heritage it aims to protect, leaving cultural sites and communities vulnerable.

👥 Diverse and inclusive participationThe session featured a broad range of participants, including members of the collective, as well as academics, cultural managers, and engaged citizens, all dedicated to the well-being of Cuenca. Each voice contributed valuable perspectives on how to balance tourism growth with the imperative to safeguard the city’s cultural and social legacy.

🔗 A milestone in Cuenca’s reflectionThis workshop not only celebrated Cuenca’s past as a World Heritage Site but also opened a critical debate on the challenges posed by unregulated tourism growth and its long-term implications.

🌟 #CuencaHeritage #SustainableTourism #25YearsOfHeritage

Photo credits: PREIT-tour