Monday, July 09, 2012

Register now for the ICOMOS ICTC International Conference on Cultural Tourism - November 7-8, 2012 (Vigan, Philippines)

Please pass on to colleges and universities, tourism industry stakeholders and policy-makers, cultural workers, policy makers, national government agencies, local government units and communities, and other interested individuals or institutions.

ICOMOS ICTC INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CULTURAL TOURISM AND 2012 ANNUAL MEETING
Cultural Tourism for Community Development / 40 Years of the World Heritage Convention
Vigan, Philippines, November 7-8, 2012

The international conference on cultural tourism organized by the ICOMOS International Scientific Committee on Cultural Tourism (ICTC) will be held at the City of Vigan, Philippines from November 7-8, 2012. The event is organized by ICOMOS Philippines. Vigan is a historic city and World Heritage Site located in the northern part of Luzon, Philippines. The city as venue for the conference is most apt as it is an example of a World Heritage site as an emerging tourism destination.

Through this event, expert members of ICTC will establish association with ICOMOS Philippines and representatives from developing countries of Asia and the Pacific to discuss present day issues on tourism and heritage. The topic on the benefits of community participation in conservation and cultural tourism programs as an essential aspect of cultural tourism will become the underlying theme of the conference and annual meeting.

The event will have a training component where students, faculty and other participants from the Philippines including ICOMOS Philippines members and participants from developing countries, especially in Asia and the Pacific, will draw inspiration from the different case studies and presentations for adaption to Philippine, Asian and the ICTC members countries’ cultural tourism contexts. Thus, it will be an opportunity for students and faculty of Philippine universities, tourism industry stakeholders, participants from these developing countries as well as ICOMOS Philippines & ICTC members to learn from the exchanges and experiences shared during the presentations.

For registration to the conference, send an e-mail to vigan2012@icomosphilippines.com
Seats are limited. We will accept participants on a first come, first served basis.

Participation fees: Php3500 for professionals (inclusive of lunch on both days, conference kits)
Php2500 for ICOMOS Philippines members (inclusive of lunch on both day, conference kits)
Php600 for undergraduate students with ID (inclusive of packed lunch on both days, conference kits)

Conference Presentations
Actual case studies of on-the-ground projects or actual case studies on work of ICTC members with community development as a result of cultural tourism, as well as community tourism presentations from the Philippine Technical Cooperation Program with Developing Countries – Department of Foreign Affairs program that "assists, plans and implements technical cooperation programs for the least developed of developing countries” will be presented on November 7 & 8, 2012

Topics will focus on the issue of community participation in cultural tourism. The following are the sub-themes that maybe considered within the context of community tourism, for the presentations and case studies:

1. Social and Economic Community development through sustainable cultural tourism
     a. Sustainable Community-based tourism practices
     b. Benefits of community participation in conservation and cultural tourism programs
     c. Can join Economics of Tourism topics here

2. Values-based tourism
     a. Culture and nature Interpretation for tourism
     b. Information and education development for tourism

3. Economics of Tourism
     a. Honing cultural industries as tourism by-products
     b. Accommodations and home-stays development for economic development
     c. Communities and stakeholders involvement in tourism activities
     d. Government and/or NGOs initiatives in tourism
     e. Ticketing and tour packaging of heritage sites for tourism

4. Challenges and concerns of Tourism in Heritage Sites
     a. Tourism in-flux and its effects on heritage sites
     b. Over development and build-up outcomes in heritage sites
     c. Management of tourism destinations

5. Promotions and Marketing of Heritage for tourism
     a. Experiences and good practices in the marketing of heritage sites
     b. Challenges in marketing and advertisement of hard to sell heritage sites
     c. Enhancing heritage for tourism (facilities development, heritage information enhancement, etc)