Carrying out of a research project entitled: "Valuing cultural heritage - the case of Mértola", within the scope of a master's thesis defended by Pedro Pedroso* at the Higher Institute of Economics and Management of the University of Lisbon (ISEG), under the scientific supervision by Filipe Themudo Barata, full professor at the University of Évora and coordinator of the UNESCO Chair in Intangible Heritage. The thesis is accessible at: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.5/2385
* The cultural heritage of a nation, or a people, should be counted as one of the key differentiators along with other attributes that make a location attractive to visitors. As such, authentic examples of local cultural heritage play a significant role in adding value to initiatives that draw attention to a particular area or attempt to utilize its image. This study recounts a unique example in Portugal which occurred at Mértola, and highlights the sequence of initiatives to transform an impoverished region into a showcase example of how to leverage cultural and historical heritage for revitalization purposes by drawing public attention to the scientific studies surrounding artefacts, mostly of Arab origin, but including Roman and Christian artefacts as well, that were found on the site. Using this case as an example, the author suggests a series of strategic measures that could be used for leveraging local cultural heritage in its entirety along with scientific or archaeological findings as key differentiators from the marketing perspective to attract visitors, and thus make tourism a more viable option in the long term development of a region during this time of relentless cultural globalization.
