On 10 July 2026, the discussion “Cultural Heritage Beyond the Algorithm” took place at the LAMPA Conversation Festival in Cēsis, Latvia, bringing the Council of Europe’s Cultural Routes and the European Heritage Label into a public conversation on cultural heritage, tourism and European identity.
Participants emphasised that responsible institutions need to make greater efforts to raise public awareness of initiatives such as the Cultural Routes and the European Heritage Label. Stronger cooperation and information-sharing are also essential. Heritage initiatives should go beyond displaying a label and providing information: their stories should be brought to life through local communities, including through songs, dances, workshops and other forms of participation.
Another key conclusion was that algorithms are valuable tools and can help people discover cultural heritage. At the same time, travellers should be encouraged to explore beyond algorithm-driven recommendations by engaging with local communities, listening to their stories and using resources prepared by local institutions, which often have the deepest knowledge of their region’s history and culture. Combining digital tools with local knowledge can help travellers discover places and perspectives that reveal a richer and more diverse story of Europe and its history.
Agnese Rupenheite, Director of the Cultural Policy Department at the Ministry of Culture of Latvia, contributed the national cultural policy perspective. Latvia has been a member of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe (EPA) since 2019.
The discussion also brought together Zane Eniņa, Vija Stikāne, Sarmīte Teivāne and Alise Lūse and was moderated by Baiba Brice from the National Heritage Board of Latvia.
More information: Kultūras mantojuma telts pirmo reizi sarunu festivālā “Lampa” | Nacionālā kultūras mantojuma pārvalde
