Introduction 1 - Heritage and Sustainable Tourism in Macaronesia

Resumo

Within the Atlantic Ocean there exist multiple insular realities. Our spatial framework extends between 43° and 12° north latitude and between 25° and 13° west longitude. Macaronesia (a term derived from the Greek makáron, meaning “happy,” and nēsoi, meaning “islands,” coined by Webb in 1835) comprises the archipelagos of the Azores, Madeira, the Selvagens Islands, the Canary Islands, and Cape Verde.

There are coastal communities, such as the Macaronesian archipelagos, that annually receive almost nine times more tourists than their total resident population. However, this situation entails a serious risk: these communities may become victims of their own success. The current challenge lies in sustaining tourism activity in a way that ensures the preservation and dissemination of both tangible and intangible heritage. The Atlanticity of these islands constitutes one of their defining identity features, and heritage plays a decisive role in the process of constructing collective identities.

This study seeks to formulate a series of proposals, most of which are already reflected in UNESCO frameworks and in various guidelines issued by the Council of Europe, along with additional recommendations by international experts that should be taken into account by insular authorities.