Abstract
This paper investigates how co-creation can function as a regenerative practice in cultural tourism, producing shared social, cultural and environmental value while strengthening local leadership. Using two contrasting Greek cases — the mountain-based Vovousa Festival (a free-entry arts and nature festival that explicitly links cultural programming with river/mountain conservation and community engagement) and the island-wide panigiria (traditional village feast-day festivals in Ikaria that mobilize local social capital, foodways and music for large community-led events) — the study examines how collaborative design, governance practices and cultural entrepreneurship shape outcomes for hosts and visitors. Vovousa provides an example of an organized arts residency/festival that foregrounds sustainability and local stewardship. Ikaria’s panigiria reveal how longstanding community-led festivities create intensive visitor-host exchange that is locally governed and culturally rooted. Through cross-case comparison, the paper identifies enabling conditions (local leadership, shared decision-making, long-term capacity building), common barriers (power asymmetries, seasonal pressures), and measurable pathways to regeneration (cultural vitality, redistributed economic benefits, and ecological stewardship). Findings inform policy and design principles for cultural tourism that moves beyond token participation toward authentic co-creation and regenerative outcomes.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2026 Special Focus—Pathways to Resilience; Sustainable Practices in Tourism and Leisure
KEYWORDS
Co-creation, Culture, Festivals
