Innovative cultural entrepreneurship. Testing and prototyping solutions in 6 European regions

Since the 1950s tourism became accessible to many and over the years several trends were mapped and produced. Cultural tourism is relatively a recent phenomenon which initially started as an elitist activity. Cultural heritage is a strong medium of communication, growth and soft power. It impacts the economy, the social health and well-being, the sense of pride and belonging, the environment, and the way people behave and practice daily life, just to mention a few. The COVID-19 crisis spurred the birth of new trends linked to the lack of mobility, quarantine regulations, loneliness and desire to reconnect with nature, heritage and interact with human beings. Under the framework of H2020 project Be.CULTOUR 19 local groups embarked on an innovation route aimed at co-shaping the future of cultural tourism in Be.CULTOUR six partner European region. This paper aims to describe the process and outcomes of this cultural entrepreneurial journey. • Entrepreneurial training fuels innovation in cultural tourism. • Local communities can drive sustainable development through innovation. • Heritage values coupled with circularity & human-centred solutions contribute to heritage regeneration & communities wellbeing.