The document introduces Creative Tourism Network, an international organization that promotes creative tourism. It defines creative tourism as tourism that allows visitors to develop their creative potential through activities characteristic of their destination. The Network aims to identify destinations suitable for creative tourists, help those destinations develop offerings, and connect travelers to experiences like workshops in glass blowing, dancing, and music. It also organizes international conferences on creative tourism.

1. www.creativetourismnetwork.org
Creative Tourism Network® Page 1
www.creativetourismnetwork.org

2. Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….....….. 3
Creative Tourism…………………………………………………………………………………...……………………………........ 4
Who are the creative tourists? ….…………………………………………………...............……………………….…..… 5
Creative Tourism Network®, International Network for the Promotion of Creative Tourism........... 6
Creative Tourism Network® ’s objectives : Creative Friendly® destinations …......………………………. 7
Activities proposed by our members: ............................................................................................ 8
International Conferences on Creative Tourism…..………………….................……………………..…...…….. 9
Social medias and specialized platforms …………………………………………………………....…………..….....… 11
Contact …………………………………………………………....…………..…....…………………………....…………..…....… 12
Creative Tourism Network® Page 2
www.creativetourismnetwork.org

3. Introduction:
Creative Tourism is a growing field that has been generating each time more fans in the world. These want to take part
in an artistic and creative activity, so that they can discover the destination’s culture, sharing pleasant moments with
the residents.
Blowing glass in Biot (French Riviera), dancing Rumba in Barcelona, baking “croissant” in Paris, performing a concert in
a church in Rome, participating in a cooking class in Galicia or in Bangkok, weaving according to Mayan Tradition or
finally producing chill out music in Ibiza, they are only some of the many unique experiences promoted by Creative
Tourism Network® - International Network for the Promotion of Creative Tourism, whose details are provided in this
dossier.
Please, let us give you further details about the Creative Tourism concept:
It appeared in 2000, in Greg Richards and Crispin Raymond’s research, with this definition:
‘‘Tourism which offers visitors the opportunity to develop their creative
potential through active participation in courses and learning experiences,
which are characteristic of the holiday destination where they are taken.’
Crispin Raymond and Greg Richards (2000).
Creative Tourism Network® Page 3
www.creativetourismnetwork.org

4. Creative Tourism is recognised as a new generation of tourism by involving the tourists in creative activities
with the local population.
The markets segmentation has led to the creation of a new tourist, no longer attracted by the general
characteristics of the destination, rather by its specific offers and services.
There are endless ways of living and tourism, among others wine tourism, language tourism, slow tourism and
congress tourism. The creative tourism is one of them.
Considering this hyper-specialization, the tourist will be demanding singular experiences, which will be decisive in the
choice of the destination.
The growing interest of tourists in this new way to discover a culture regards particularly the operators and branding
managers, attentive to the possibility of attracting a quality tourism, highlighting the intangible heritage (craft
workshops, cooking classes, etc. .) and optimizing the use of existing infrastructure (for example, through the rent of
halls and auditorium).
Creative tourism offers many advantages, among which we can mention:
 The opportunity to open up to a quality tourism, optimizing existing tangible and intangible heritage
(traditions, crafts, artists,...), as well as infrastructure, cultural centres, monuments, etc..
 Its positive effect on the self-confidence of the local people: indeed, the interest of creative tourists for the
local culture goes beyond the mere sightseeing, as they want to "experience it” by meeting its inhabitants.
 Its deseasonalizing character allows the attraction of tourists all year long.
 The geographical outsourcing. The minor interest of creative tourists in traditional "tourist attractions"
contributes to a better spatial distribution within the destination. A creative tourist who goes to Barcelona for
a second time, for example, is not visiting again emblematic buildings, but will probably “living the daily life” of
the neighbourhood where he’s developing his creative activity.
 The ability to mix perfectly with other tourism segments such as food tourism, language tourism, wine
tourism, slow tourism, etc, which allows creating economies of scale and synergies.
"Creative tourism is a projection of a new tourism in which natural, cultural and
personal resources are not manipulated and exploited but valued and enriched".
(Jelincic and Zuvela, 2012).
Creative Tourism Network® Page 4
www.creativetourismnetwork.org

5. Who are the creative tourists?
It is difficult to paint a standard portrait of this new tourist who, by definition, wants to be unique!
 They can be a tourist travelling alone, as a couple, with his family or group.
 They can organize themselves their trip or contract specialized tour operators.
 Their creative activities can refer to the learning (courses, workshops), the creation (artistic trip, co-creation
with local artists) or the representation (performing concert, acting, exhibiting).
We could provide a lot of examples like the one of a group going to Biot (French Riviera), to make a pottery workshop
and enjoying the exceptional “Provence way of life” or even a person who wants to approach the Maya culture by
taking part in a textile workshop in Guatemala, and then an American orchestra that rents a prestigious auditorium in
Barcelona to perform a concert and invite the Barcelonans to it ... etc.
On the other hand, if we consider the reasons that lead the visitor to choose this type of creative journey, we
can observe a recent development. Until five years ago the tourist was a creative person who practiced an artistic
activity in the country of residence and wanted to improve it during the holidays (e.g. painting courses, dance, guitar,
etc.), now there is a new trend, so tourists generally add to their traditional program of visits more creative and
participatory activities, with the aim of living cultural and human experiences.
General outlines of creative tourists:
 They want to experience the local culture by participating in artistic and creative activities.
 They want experiences whereby they can feel themselves part of the destination.
 They do not look for the "monumentality" or the "spectacular" or "superlative".
 They are prosumers and share their experiences on social medias.
 They are exclusive regarding the way of travelling: once experienced the creative tourism, they no longer want
to come back to a conventional circuit.
 They spend a substantial part of the budget for the fulfilment of these activities / experiences.
 They usually combine many kinds of tourism, during the same journey: creative, culinary, eco-tourism, slow
tourism.
Creative Tourism Network® Page 5
www.creativetourismnetwork.org

6. Creative Tourism Network®,
International Network for the Promotion of Creative Tourism.
Creative Tourism Network® was founded in Barcelona in 2010 by the Fundació Societat i Cultura (FUSIC), that also created
the Barcelona Creative Tourism pioneering platform in 2005.
The network’s main purpose is to promote creative tourism by fostering synergies among destinations that have a potential to
welcome those new travellers willing to live artistic and human experiences.
We can count among our members many destinations, like Barcelona, Biot, Louvre-Lens, Austria, Ibiza, Bangkok, Paris, Galicia,
Guatemala, etc.
“Creative tourism is developing rapidly and it does not conform to one single model or perspective, but is rather open
and flexible in its adaptation to local context”
(Richards and Marques, 2012)
(Richards and Marques, 2012)
“The networks are important in the sense that they join together (glocal) partners with different interests, in this case
from the tourism field, the cultural and creative industries and government.”
(Richards and Marques, 2012)
Creative Tourism Network® Page 6
www.creativetourismnetwork.org

7. Creative Tourism Network® objectives:
Creative Tourism Network ® promotes the
“Creative Friendly” destinations.
Creative Tourism Network ® recognises its members as
“Creative Friendly”, to ensure the originality and authenticity of
their offers and their adequacy to the “Best Practices of Creative
Tourism”.
 To find and promote destinations that have a potential to attract creative tourists. They are characterized by
the '"creative atmosphere" and the resources and facilities offered to visitors looking for cultural and human
experiences.
 To help the destinations to develop creative tourism in their territory by adapting their offers according to the
specific characteristics of this specific demand.
 To identify the creative tourists through their belonging to different segments.
 To create and manage a specific database, so that our members’ offers can reach their target.
 To develop partnerships with other organizations and networks (international culinary tourism associations,
federations of university orchestras, artistic collectives, etc...) in order to broaden a specific target.
 To provide our members with a permanent communication service which also includes community
management, presentations at conferences, fairs and international and specialized press conferences.
 To design creative tourism routes between the destinations-members.
 To create a free area on creative tourism, where the theoretical and practical objectives merge.
 To create and warrant the "Best Practices of Creative Tourism ".
Creative Tourism Network® Page 7
www.creativetourismnetwork.org

8. Activities proposed by our members:
Biot Creative Tourism
Workshops of: glass blowing, jewellery, pottery, photography, botany, dance, art-
therapy, cooking, baking, etc.
CreativeParis
Workshops of: perfume making, croissants baking, sewing, “French way of life”, photographic routes,
etc..
Creative Tourism Thailand
Courses of Massage, boxing, floral art, cookery, fruit carving, traditional dances, sing painting,
ceramics, origami, etc..
Creative Tourism Galicia
Opportunity to participate in the rehearsal of a local choir, workshops of making cookies, courses of
basketry, making natural cosmetics, participation in traditional celebrations.
Creative Tourism Austria
Crafts, ceramics, and cooking workshops; traditional dances.
Creative Tourism Santa Fe
Workshops of: Jewellery, painting, ceramics, photography and cooking courses, visits to artists'
studios.
Creative Tourism Guatemala
Workshops of: coffee and chocolate making, weaving following the Maya tradition.
Le Louvre - Lens
Creative activities linked to the recent inauguration of Louvre-Lens and its area’s traditions.
Creative Tourism Ibiza
Workshops of: sandals making, sculpture, underwater photography, deejay, chill out music,
Mediterranean cooking, theatre.
Barcelone Creative Tourism
Workshop of "Gaudi-style" mosaic, cooking, Catalan rumba, photographic routes, possibility to
perform a concert in singular venues, etc..
… etc.…
www.creativetourismnetwork.org
Creative Tourism Network® Page 8
www.creativetourismnetwork.org

9. International Conferences on Creative Tourism:
Barcelona, La Pedrera, December 9th – 10th, 2010.
The first international conference on Creative Tourism, Barcelona December 9th - 10th 2010, gathered
representatives and professionals from 26 countries, willing to develop creative tourism-related projects.
La I Conferencia Internacional sobre Turismo Creativo que se celebró en Barcelona los
días 9 y 10 de diciembre de 2010 reunió a profesionales y representantes de 26 países
deseosos de desarrollar proyectos relacionados con el turismo creativo.
Creative Tourism Network® Page 9
www.creativetourismnetwork.org

10. Paris, Hôtel de Ville, December 6th – 7th 2012.
The second International Conference on Creative Tourism (Paris, 2012) gathered about 200 professionals in the
tourism field and confirmed the rapid and successful development of this sector.
Creative Tourism Network® Page 10
www.creativetourismnetwork.org

11. Social Media:
Creative Tourism Network® uses the following social networks:
And Platforms:
Translation: Maria Giulia Causa
Creative Tourism Network® Page 11
www.creativetourismnetwork.org

12. Creative Tourism Network®
c/ Consell de Cent, 347 – s/a
08007 Barcelona
info@creativetourismnetwork.org
www.creativetourismnetwork.org
Creative Tourism Network® Page 12
www.creativetourismnetwork.org