THE PROGRAM

OWHC member cities are often keen to take advantage of the network to identify examples and experiences on various subjects related to urban management and heritage preservation. To facilitate the collection and sharing of information, the General Secretariat is proposing this new tool to complement the technical assistance offered to members.

OPERATIONAL ASPECTS

Cities wishing to find out whether other member cities have examples or experience on a specific subject are invited to send their question to the General Secretariat by e-mail to [email protected] providing all the information needed to understand the request.

The OWHC commits to:

• Rapidly circulate the information to all member cities (mailer) and publish the request on the OWHC website and social networks.
• Collect the information received and forward it to the requesting city

ELIGIBILITY

Member city in good standing.

Pending requests

Cuenca (Ecuador): Managing tourist pressure in the historic center

As part of the OWHC Hotline programme, we would like to request your contributions in response to a call from the City of Cuenca (Ecuador).

Faced with a rapid increase in tourist numbers in recent years, particularly during holidays and major events, Cuenca often experiences a massive influx of visitors, which overwhelms the historic center and leads to problematic conditions.  The city therefore wishes to identify transferable experiences and good practices that reconcile tourist appeal, heritage conservation and quality of life for residents.

To this end, we invite you to share your experiences and information on the following questions:

1. What measures have you implemented to manage tourist numbers in historic centers and prevent the saturation of heritage sites?
2. Do you have mechanisms in place to regulate tourist flows (capacity control, differentiated circuits, specific timetables, advance bookings, restricted access areas, etc.)? If so, how are they applied and what are the results?
3. What strategies have you developed to encourage visitors to comply with local standards (awareness-raising, signage, monitoring, sanctions, involvement of local communities, etc.)?
4. Does your city have any governance models, plans or integrated tools that combine tourism, heritage conservation and citizen coexistence, which could be considered good practices?

If your city has effective experiences or strategies for managing tourist pressure in historic centers, share them with us by writing to Adriana Huerta- Núñez – Urban Heritage Project Officer : [email protected]