Greece’s Thessaloniki Biennale of Contemporary Art has taken out the second prize at the 9th International Cultural Tourism conference held in Guimaraes, Portugal on the theme ‘Intangible Heritage: Incomparable Asset for Sustainable and Responsible Tourism Development’.
"We presented the Thessaloniki Biennale as a model of good practice in the field of contemporary art and exchanged useful experiences and views on key effective management of cultural heritage," deputy regional governor on Tourism and Cultural Issues Alexandros Thanos said.
The first prize was awarded to Vidzeme, in Latvia, and the third prize to Catalonia, in Spain.
Keynote speakers were: the Vice-Chair of the Commission for Natural Resources, Committee of the Regions, Mr. Anthony Buchanan who spoke about ‘Tourism as a Driving Force’; Council member of Europa Nostra, Prof. Konraad Van Balen who presented the study ‘Cultural Heritage Counts for Europe’; representative of the European Travel Commission Ms. Iulia Niculica, presented ‘The European Tourism Manifest for Growth & Jobs’; and the Chair of NECSTouR Working Group Cultural Tourism and Cultural Sustainability, Mr. Jose Luis Maestro Castineiras, who presented good practices in NECSTouR regions.
About the Thessaloniki Biennale of Contemporary Art:
Since 2007, the Thessaloniki Biennale of Contemporary Art is focusing on international current affairs, global restructuring and crises that affect men and their environment. By forming ties with existing art institutions in Europe and elsewhere, the Biennale aims to encourage further artistic exchange. It communicates with artists from different geographic regions and presents the work of artists who have difficult access to areas with intense artistic life on the European art scene. The Biennale comprises a main and a parallel programmes and focuses on the Mediterranean region under the title “OLD INTERSECTIONS – MAKE IT NEW” with exhibitions, a workshop for young artists, a performance festival, conferences and a symposium.
*More information thessaloniki.travel
