Project ArchaeoCulTour: Innovative Valorization of Archaeological Heritage in Istria County Through Sustainable Cultural and Creative Tourism

The paper will present the conceptual and analytical framework for the research on the development potential of archaeological heritage in Istria County, Croatia, through sustainable tourism. Starting from the comparative analysis of the European as well as regional and national best practice in valorization of this specific category of heritage, the authors will propose the innovative research methodology and the most appropriate models of sustainable valorization of archaeological heritage, such as the eco-archaeological parks, open-air museums and interpretation centers, living history programs, cultural routes and educational paths, as well as community digs and practical workshops as models of participatory heritage management which would involve the local community too. The research included a hybrid methodological approach, combining qualitative and quantitative methods and interviews with all interested stakeholders (local community, visitors, experts). The main aim of the research, conducted in the framework of the project ArchaeoCulTour (The Archaeological Landscape in Sustainable Development of Cultural Tourism in Vrsar Municipality), was to develop a successful innovative strategy for sustainable cultural tourism growth in the most developed Croatian tourist region, Istria, characterized by abundance of archaeological sites, which are unfortunately still not adequately valorized, presented and interpreted. The preliminary analyses indicated the lack of comparative thinking in this area as well as the need to use and promote the European best practice in development of sustainable cultural tourism destinations, proposing the models to present the regional archaeological treasure in the most proper way.