PASOS Revista de Turismo y Patrimonio Cultural (Jan 2012)
Alto Douro Vinhateiro património da humanidade: a complexidade de um programa de preservação
Abstract
The Alto Douro Wine Region (ADW) was listed by UNESCO in 2001 as a living and evolving cultural landscape. Besides the physical diversity of the landscape, there is a multiplicity of actors involved in ADW preservation defined at three levels: i) instruments and public entities (interms of land management); ii) property rights definition and liability management (asset level); and iii) stakeholders (as regard the preservation effects). In this paper, we define the relevant attributes to formulate a program to preserve and safeguard the ADW, based on the evidence suggested in a previous study, on the results of a pretest and using information from public discussions and meetings with experts. The research carried out shows that the attributes to consider are: (a) terraced vineyards supported by schist walls, (b) landscape mosaic with agricultural diversity, including plots planted with and bordered by traditional crops, (c) traditional agglomerations and built heritage and, (d) a price, expressed by an annual tax increase per household..
