SF / UNESCO International Conference on Creative Tourism

SF City Councilor Rebecca Wurzburger (center) with UNESCO delegates at the conference

For several years, Santa Fe has enjoyed recognition as this country’s first “Creative City” of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) Creative City Network. The Creative Cities Network developed from UNESCO’s Global Alliance for Cultural Diversity Initiative in 2002. The other eight Creative Cities are Montreal; Aswan, Egypt; Germany; Bologna, Italy; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Seville, Spain; Popayan, Colombia; and Edinburgh, Scotland.

City Councilor Rebecca Wurzburger played a major role in UNESCO’s decision to honor Santa Fe in this way. The designation was inspired by Santa Fe’s longstanding example as a successful international tourist attraction, and by the establishment of the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market, which, in five years, has grown into the largest of its kind in the nation.

From September 28-October 2, 2008, Santa Fe hosted the first of its kind International Conference on Creative Tourism at the new Community Convention Center. Several hundred top tourism executives, city officials and international tourism consultants came for a “global conversation” to learn about the intricacies of building a sustainable travel industry. They discussed the latest ideas and practices on the development of creative tourism and its impact on economies locally and globally.

Broadly defined as engaging travelers in a community’s traditions through active participation, creative tourism provides a means for economic growth to destinations offering visitors experience through personal involvement. Participative learning in the arts, heritage, or special character of a place provides a connection with those who reside there and create its living culture.

Besides being a major source of Santa Fe’s economy, tourism here contributes to the arts, folk craftsmanship, and to academic and cultural interchange. After mornings spent in conversation with industry leaders, delegates participated in afternoon activities that characterize Santa Fe’s culture and exemplify how creative tourism is implemented on a local level. This included experiences such as preparing local cuisine at the Santa Fe School of Cooking, making adobe bricks
to be used in the restoration of the San Miguel Mission, turning clay into art at the Heidi Loewen Porcelain Gallery, creating pastel and watercolor paintings at workshops led by the Georgia O’Keefe Museum, and exploring weaving communities of Northern New Mexico, where they were able to practice traditional fiber art techniques.For more information, visit the website: www.santafecreativetourism.org

Eco Nest