Cultural routes for Mérida city – Venezuela

Abstract

Heritage Studies recognize that the empowerment of the community, owner of the heritage, is one of the main actions that lead to its conservation and preservation. Due to its geographical, historical and social characteristics, it is possible to create a dynamic in the Mérida city, between the enhancement of the heritage assets and the tourist activities developed in it, producing a synergy between the actors, as established by the Cultural Tourism Charter of ICOMOS (1999). Through cultural routes, as a tourism proposal, heritage can be exalted, becoming a product that is known, assessed and preserved, generating interest in the tourist and the inhabitants. In order to accomplish a cultural route that is more than the commercialization of spaces, it is necessary to establish an inventory of the different architectonic patrimonial assets, identifying their characteristics and values, cataloging the patrimonial elements in different conducting threads. Thus, the creation of cultural routes under different themes will create a synergy between existing tourism and heritage, as well as educate the population starting at school age, and ensure the active participation of the inhabitants in the preservation of its heritage.