The Assembly of the Group of World Heritage Cities of Spain (Gcphe) has approved the organization of special events to celebrate the 40 years since the designation of Ávila, Santiago de Compostela, and Segovia as World Heritage Cities, which gave rise to the group to which 15 Spanish cities now belong. In addition, it has been agreed that Toledo will host a new Assembly of the Group on November 7 and 8.
Regarding the special events, a joint concert will be organized for December 6, the date on which in 1985, UNESCO designated the first three Spanish cities to be classified as World Heritage Sites.
The concert will be a physical event held in Ávila, with the participation of musicians and performers from the other two cities and the involvement of the rest of the cities in the Group (promotion, institutional assistance, and dissemination through each city’s channels).
The Assembly took place at the Alcázar of Segovia, as this city has been the president of the Group since June 30. Its mayor, José Mazarías, has outlined the agreements reached in a meeting defined as a "handover meeting," in which the change of presidency (Santiago de Compostela has passed it on to Segovia) and the change in the three internal commissions of the Group have been confirmed: the Culture, Education, and Sports Commission has been transferred to the city of Toledo; the Heritage and Cities Commission to Zaragoza, and the Tourism Commission, which is linked to the presidency, will be led by Mazarías.
In addition to the special concert on December 6, the Assembly of the Group of World Heritage Cities has reviewed matters that were initiated during the previous presidency of Santiago’s mayor, Goretti Sanmartín, and have now been passed on to her successor, the mayor of Segovia.
PROJECTS
In this regard, Mazarías has reviewed the progress of the photographic exhibition with material from the historical heritage of the 15 cities, which will be held at the Royal Academy of Spain in Rome, and has stated that the project is "in the process of selecting a curator, the first step to set it in motion."
The status of the execution of the European funding grant received by the Group, amounting to 45 million euros, with three million for each city, has also been discussed.
The purpose of this grant is to preserve and maintain the historical assets of the 15 cities, and as reviewed in the Assembly, it is being executed according to the planned schedule.
TOURISM FAIRS
The Group has also mentioned the Tourism Fairs they attend and have developed a tool to measure the impact of attending these national and international events, such as the recent participation in fairs in Osaka (Japan) and Berlin (Germany).
According to the mayor of Segovia, this measurement tool allows them to "determine whether attending these events leads to an increase in the number of visitors from these places to the Spanish cities."
Additionally, the upcoming presence in Dublin on November 17, in collaboration with Paradores and Turespaña, has been addressed as a new opportunity to engage with agents and tour operators.
The schedule for upcoming meetings includes a new Assembly on November 7 and 8 in Toledo, which will also serve as the venue for the presentation of the World Heritage Cities Race Circuit Award.
Furthermore, Úbeda will host a new meeting in September on political issues; Madrid in October, at the Ministry of Culture, for a meeting of technical staff from the respective cities, and in November, in Segovia, to discuss the budget.
Lastly, it has been decided to strengthen ties with educational and university institutions in each city, with future activities involving educational and pedagogical groups.
The Assembly concluded with a visit by the Group’s representatives to the Alcázar of Segovia, the venue for the meeting thanks to the donation of several rooms by the Alcázar’s Board, which collaborates each year in the events of the ‘Night of Heritage,’ another event of the Group, scheduled for September 13.