"Cante Alentejano” and Tourism in Alentejo

The bid to recognise Cante Alentejano as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity was approved unanimously on 27, November 2014, exactly three years after Fado became part of the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.This candidacy was promoted by Tourism of Alentejo, E.R.T, in partnership with the municipality of Serpa and including the participation of the community, musical groups and local and regional public bodies. The purpose of the bid was the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage and it was built upon, among others, the collection and analysis of documents about the Cante Alentejano, the collection and analysis of its musicography, and the characterization of groups and singers of Cante.This recognition of Cante Alentejano as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity poses challenges to stakeholders directly or indirectly involved in the management process.In this context, and given the strategic importance of tourism for the development and competitiveness of Alentejo, it is important to promote the debate about the UNESCO recognition of Cante, in order to draw the most appropriate strategies for its preservation and appreciation, while enhancing the multiplier effects on the tourism development of the region Using a set of in-depth interviews conducted with key informants, we aim to analyse and discuss the potential of Cante Alentejano, recognised as Intangible Heritage of Humanity, for the experiential tourism development in the tourism destination Alentejo