Heritage values: Motor for Economical Development
Heritage Motor for Economical Development and Sustainability
Motor for Economical Development
Heritage is a motor for economic and societal development, both because it enhances the quality and harmonious incorporation of our built environment into its surroundings (see EU Directive 2005/36/CE), and because it is an asset for development in terms of tourism and territorial management. The Norms of Quito on the Preservation and Utilization of Monuments and Sites of Artistic and historical Value (1967) focuses on the compatibility of conservation and tourist development of monuments and heritage site: “Intrinsic cultural values are neither weakened nor compromised by association with tourist interests; on the contrary, the increased attraction of the cultural properties and the growing number of outside admirers confirm awareness of their importance and national significance.(…) The monuments and other assets of an archaeological, historical, and artistic nature can and should be properly preserved and utilized for development purposes as prime attractions for the influx of tourists. In countries with a rich heritage of archaeological, historic, and artistic interest, that heritage should constitute a decisive factor in their tourist plan, and should therefore, be taken into account in the final form of the pertinent plans.” While the Declaration of Amsterdam (1975) says: “Regional planning policy must take account of the conservation of the architectural heritage and contribute to it. In particular, it can induce new activities to establish themselves in economically declining areas in order to check depopulation and thereby prevent the deterioration of old buildings.”