MESSAGE FROM THE
CONFERENCE CO-CHAIRS
For everyone interested in visitor services and in cultural education and activities, the annual ICOM/CECA conference is a valuable gathering for the international community. University researchers, museum and culture professionals, program managers and others know that they can discuss topical issues and the latest trends and learn about the results of innovative ventures and advanced analyses – all while bolstering their international networks of professional contacts.
In 2008, Montréal had the honour of hosting this important event, on the theme of Cultural Tourism: Trends and Strategies. The Conference, organized jointly by Pointe-à-Callière, the Montréal Museum of Archaeology and History and the Montréal Science Centre, was an opportunity for over 200 delegates from around the world to hear from and talk with 55 experts in the field.
On this site you will find all the presentations made by these experts, organized by theme and by speaker. For instance, what exactly does “cultural tourism” mean? What are the major international trends in this area, and Canadian experiences in particular? What proportion of museum visitors are “tourists”? What motivates these tourists? How can we interest them and meet or surpass their expectations? What are the most effective strategies for attracting crowds to our museums – and satisfying them? Is tourist demand changing? Should this clientele be taken into account in developing our activities and exhibitions and, if so, how? All these crucial questions and some useful perspectives are to be found here.
About the 2008 Conference
The 2008 CECA Conference offered a wide variety of activities over five days, most of them held at the Montréal Science Centre, in the Old Port. Thanks to more than 50 lectures and roundtable discussions, not to mention the poster sessions and Market of Ideas, participants could learn about the latest practical and theoretical research in the field of cultural tourism, examine issues and trends and get first-hand accounts of many inspiring ventures. Needless to say, with such a variety of themes, touching on all research fields and the latest developments in museum practices, discussions were animated. In addition, in order to encourage sharing of ideas, simultaneous interpretation in French, English and Spanish was offered for all presentations.
Participants had an opportunity to visit some leading institutions in the lovely Richelieu Valley region. Four major Montréal institutions also welcomed them for evening tours and cocktails: the Montréal Biodôme and Botanical Garden, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and the Musée d'art contemporain. To wind up the Conference in style, an evening gala was held at Pointe-à-Callière, with cocktails and a gourmet meal in the museum’s archaeological crypt, entertainment on a historical theme and circus artists.
Cultural tourism: a very topical theme
Given the wide-ranging backgrounds of Conference participants – over 30 countries were represented – and the quality of the presentations, the theme chosen was obviously a very appropriate one. Cultural tourism is a key concern for many organizations these days: tourists have become an important clientele for museums and for many other cultural attractions. Another essential consideration is that these visitors have specific motivations. For most of them, personal growth, learning about history or exploring a culture, albeit important factors, are secondary to the essential goal of relieving the stress of everyday life. Consequently, our institutions cannot hope to communicate their precious knowledge unless they start by recognizing the nature and relative importance of these motivations and developing products and experiences geared to meeting them.
Cultural organizations, with their important roles of safeguarding and promoting heritage, are increasingly aware that they must adapt to trends in the tourism industry to meet demand and raise their profiles. They are looking to evolve in educational, tourism, economic and technological terms, to better serve their clients, and to share the wealth of their collections by using all the approaches, means and products available in the 21st century. We must admit, nonetheless, that there is still much to be done in this respect. The tools used often do not meet these new expectations, and this interferes with our museums’ primary missions, including their social ones.
We hope that by examining the current international situation and outlook in museology, education and cultural tourism, analyzing tourist clienteles, offering suggestions as to the most effective actions and bringing together innovative ideas, the 2008 CECA Conference fulfilled its crucial objective of presenting the main issues and trends in cultural tourism. In so doing, we hope that we have encouraged the development of skills and come up with new research possibilities, through which institutions and stakeholders, while complying with their respective missions, will be able to continue better responding to demand from tourists. The Montréal team offered a privileged forum for promoting research and achievements here and around the globe, allowing academics and museum and tourism professionals from Quebec and throughout Canada and other parts of the world to exchange views on one of the most crucial concerns for museums: visitors, who are at the heart of our missions and our raison d’être.
We are delighted to put the 2008 Conference proceedings on line. This will give Internet users access to all those thoughts so generously shared with Conference-goers in Montréal. Our heartfelt thanks to everyone who played a direct or indirect part in making the 2008 Conference and this final account of its achievements possible.
Enjoy!
Francine Lelièvre, Executive Director
Pointe-à-Callière, the Montréal Museum of Archaeology and History
Claude Benoit, President and CEO
Old Port of Montreal Corporation
