Cultural Heritage and Romance
The global pandemic has already changed the world we live in. Some of the changes are temporary, and some are here to stay. While many of those changes have already come to haunt us with a sense of deprivation, uncertainty and fragility, some have actually…
The Use and Abuse of Cultural Heritage Before and After Coronavirus
There is a reason why one category of tourists is attracted to a given category of cities and tourist destinations rather than another. Dozens of reasons, to be more exact. Some of these reasons are extremely important and easy to understand, some are equally important,…
From Overtourism to Ghost Towns: The Big Questions For Cities That Need Big Answers
For many cities worldwide, the last few weeks and months have been extra-ordinary in so many ways, that managing them under lockdown restrictions must have felt like corporate crisis management at its best/worst, depending on perspective. There is one important difference, though. With the COVID-19…
Managing Cultural Heritage And Tourist Experience in the Age of Overtourism
If you’re interested in tourism and world heritage cities, 11-12 March 2020 is probably the date when you might want to be in Kraków, Poland. During those two days a long-awaited conference entitled HISTORICAL CITIES IN SEARCH OF A PREMIUM TOURIST will take place at…
A Streetcar Named … Heritage and Cultural Identity
One of the biggest ironies of appreciation, or lack of it, rather, is that if we have access to something on a daily basis, we tend to underestimate its importance, not to mention its formative impact on our lives. Too much of a good thing,…
The 15th World Congress in Kraków: 10 Days Later…
On June 13th, the Organization of World Heritage Cities (OWHC) published its first news update after the World Congress in Kraków (2-5 June 2019). It starts with the following words: “The 15th OWHC World Congress held in Krakow will be considered a landmark event for…
“Cities Are Like Power Plants, They Produce Energy!”
In less than a week, delegates from the world’s most iconic WORLD HERITAGE CITIES/SITES will have come to Kraków for the 15th OWHC World Congress. The world’s cultures will meet to exchange ideas and share knowledge on a wide range of practical issues linked to…
“Miasta są jak elektrownie – produkują energię!”
W erze globalizacji, komercjalizacji i standaryzacji – zjawisk, które wywierają olbrzymi wpływ na jednostki i całe kultury, nawet te, których korzenie historycy opisują w kategoriach tysiącleci, kwestia tożsamości – jakkolwiek wymykająca się uproszczeniom i jednoznacznym klasyfikacjom – pozostaje niezwykle istotna. Już za 10 dni rozpocznie się w Krakowie…
How GREEN is your City and what Does it Say about You?
Today’s capitals of culture and cultural heritage all over the world face increasingly disruptive challenges, starting from overtourism, all the way to culture commercialisation and touristification. The list of potential impacts and outcomes includes the gradual migration of local inhabitants, long-standing services and traditional craftsmanship away from…
From UNESCO to OWHC: Playing Host to Large International Congresses and Conferences (Part I)
Explaining the benefits of living in a big city, especially one that has a reputation for its cultural heritage, supported by a long list of ‘MUST SEEs’ and ‘MUST GO TOs’, is hardly a challenge. Likewise, prioritising the usual downsides of urban lifestyle is not…
Kraków City Hall
Urząd Miasta Krakowa
pl. Wszystkich Świętych 3-4
31-004 Kraków
