The idea for the CREATOUR Observatory originates in the project CREATOUR, “Developing Creative Tourism Destinations and Rural Areas and Small Cities,” intending, however, to go beyond the work already developed, assuming a transdisciplinary perspective and critical reflection, by bringing different study areas into dialogue and providing a space to discuss paradoxical problems in its thematic fields.
CREATOUR was a multidisciplinary action-research project based on the combination of theoretical and practical approaches in collaborative processes, developed between November 2016 and June 2020. It served as a research, development and catalyst phase for a creative tourism supply network, in which a wide range of initiatives have been conceived, designed, tested and implemented locally.
The project sought to contribute to the development of sustainable creative tourism practices in small towns and rural areas in four regions of Portugal: North, Centre, Alentejo and Algarve, integrating theoretical and methodological approaches in cultural, tourism and regional development. Structured according to the main dimensions to support the creative sector – 1) building knowledge and capacity, 2) supporting content development and linking creativity to the place and 3) strengthening networks and clusters – the project's focus was the implementation of pilot small-scale tourism initiatives, increasing the attractiveness and sustainability of rural communities and small towns in Portugal.
CREATOUR looked at the creation, planning and implementation of creative tourism products, as well as the development of a research, information-gathering and capacity-building framework for the emerging field. On one hand, it was observed that the development of creative tourism outside large cities is viable, but the geographical challenges and the diversity of agents and initiatives require additional attention to capacity building, training and guidance; dedicated collective marketing resources; and more time to deepen knowledge networks and develop partnerships. On the other hand, an essential factor in creative tourism is the strong link between creativity and territory, providing visitors with experiences of immersion in local culture and direct contact with communities. These activities make it possible to generate added value – economic, social and cultural – at a local and regional level.
Based on the conclusions of the CREATOUR project, we identified key needs to promote synergies between culture, creativity and tourism, resulting in policy recommendations for 5 dimensions: product and company development; network and intersectoral connections; training, skills development and knowledge construction; communication and marketing; and research, monitoring and industry intelligence. One of the recommendations was the development of an Observatory to coordinate research and monitor developments in the cultural/creative and tourism sectors.