Participatory Web-GIS platform to support Community-Led Local Development of Cultural Tourism in Serbia

Abstract

Community-Led Local Development (CLLD) is recognised as fundamental for achieving social, economic and environmental goals of Horizon 2020 Strategy. Recognising the importance of its place-based dimension of development, it promotes process of “territorialisation” perceived as co-production of society and environment, in which both have agency. Therefore, it implies implementation of an integrated community collaborative research and action in the process of discovering and innovation of the sustainable economic trajectories. The CLLD concept is implemented within the EU territory throughout LEADER Programme and the implemented local initiatives were evaluated as very successful. However, operationalisation of the concept of territorialisation and CLLD present a methodological challenge. In the context of the Republic of Serbia, due to the initialised EU pre-accession process, Leader Plus program was initiated. However, in spite of the several very successful pilot initiatives, this program did not reach the expected success. One of the main reasons identified was insufficient capacities to perform and implement collaborative research process at a local level, as in the case of Smederevo. As a consequence, the cultural tourism territorial resources are not used in its full capacity. This research focuses on the exploration of possibilities to build up local capacities with a view to improving cultural tourism offer trough a participatory Web-GIS platform.