International and local experts discuss conservation, sustainable tourism, digital innovation, artificial intelligence, memory and dissemination
On Wednesday, 26 November, La Laguna will experience a historic day as part of the 25th anniversary of its declaration as a UNESCO World Heritage City, with the celebration of three technical forums that address heritage from different perspectives: academic, technological, tourist and civic. The city thus becomes the epicentre of an international debate on how to preserve, disseminate and project its legacy into the future, reinforcing its role as a heritage benchmark in the Canary Islands and in Latin America.
The programme includes the “II Ibero-American Forum on Heritage, Territorial Development and Tourism”, the conference “Porvenir Humáquina: Heritage and Culture in the Digital Age of Expanded Realities, Infoarchitecture and the Metaverse” and the 12th edition of the “The Heritage of La Laguna” series, organised by the Institute of Canarian Studies (IECan), spaces for reflection and analysis supported by the City Council of La Laguna.
The mayor of La Laguna, Luis Yeray Gutiérrez, highlighted the significance of an event that “turns La Laguna into a great laboratory of ideas and experiences on heritage, which is not the first nor will it be the last of the commemorative events for the 25th anniversary, in which we reaffirm our commitment to heritage as a driving force for social cohesion, sustainable development and international projection”.
The mayor explained that “we want this anniversary to also be an opportunity to review what we have done over the last quarter of a century and to plan new policies that integrate heritage protection with the well-being of our communities. The presence of international and local experts in these forums not only allows us to engage in dialogue with the world and confirm that our heritage is a common language that unites us beyond borders, but also to demonstrate that La Laguna is prepared to face the challenges of the future.”
For his part, the Councillor for Cultural Heritage, Adolfo Cordobés, stressed that “La Laguna has shown that protecting heritage does not mean locking it away in the past, but opening it up to the future. The Ibero-American Forum, the Porvenir Humáquina Conference and the La Laguna Heritage Cycle are three examples of how we can combine tradition and innovation, memory and identity, research and citizen participation, all with the aim of making heritage a living space that is accessible and connected to present and future generations.”
“This day reflects the diversity of approaches we need to address the challenges of the 21st century: from sustainable tourism and cooperation to the application of artificial intelligence and citizen outreach. As a World Heritage City, La Laguna has a responsibility to incorporate these debates and demonstrate that heritage is also a tool for building a more just and sustainable future,” added Cordobés.
The Second Ibero-American Forum on Heritage, Territorial Development and Tourism, which began this morning at the University of La Laguna and will also extend to the island of Gran Canaria, brings together experts from Argentina, Guatemala, Mexico, Portugal and Spain to discuss cultural itineraries, sustainable triple-impact tourism and transhumance as elements of identity and development.
In the afternoon, at the former convent of Santo Domingo, starting at 5 p.m., the “Porvenir Humáquina” conference will be inaugurated, a pioneering two-day event that reflects on the impact of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies on the conservation and dissemination of heritage.
Shortly afterwards, at 6 p.m. at Casa de Ossuna, the Institute of Canarian Studies will launch the 12th edition of the series “The Heritage of La Laguna”, two days of conferences open to the public and broadcast on social media, which will introduce citizens to little-known aspects of the local heritage.
For the Department of Cultural Heritage, the importance of these activities lies in their ability to promote La Laguna as an international benchmark in heritage management and the application of emerging technologies to culture, while strengthening civic identity and pride.
Heritage as a driver of social cohesion and sustainable development
The IECan Cycle democratises access to heritage knowledge, the Porvenir Humáquina Conference places the city on the global map of cultural innovation, and the Ibero-American Forum strengthens academic and professional cooperation networks. These three complementary events consolidate the municipal strategy of positioning heritage as a driver of social cohesion and sustainable development, and mark a milestone in the commemoration of La Laguna’s 25 years as a World Heritage City.