Based on the assumption that tourism and museums should be seen as vehicles for privileged access to different types of heritage representations, this article aims to reflect on how, in these two contexts, scenarios can be found and experienced that contribute to, among other things, promoting good practices of coexistence between different groups and respect for human rights.
Can the enjoyment of heritage, which takes place in the context of tourism and the activities offered by museums, be a supporting element in the implementation of a new humanism that re-centres the human being as the main focus of all actions carried out on a daily basis at global level? What’s more, in adverse situations, such as pandemics or belligerent environments, does heritage awareness and enjoyment acquire new symbolisms?
In order to reflect on these questions, it is important to understand the polysemy inherent in the expression ‘cultural heritage’ and to deconstruct it according to specific coeval particularities. The World Code of Ethics for Tourism and the intentions behind the choice of the theme for International Museum Day 2022, as well as the ICOM general conference scheduled for Prague in August of the same year, ‘The Power of Museums’, are important references for this research because, on the one hand, they warn of the care and attributes related to the enjoyment of heritage in a tourist context, and, on the other hand, they demonstrate a real institutional concern about how museums can contribute to the challenges and needs of the 21st century, particularly with regard to building free, democratic and knowledgeable societies, in which the humanist values essential to cohesion and peace should always play the leading role.
