Cultural Indicators as a Tool for Assessing Sustainable Development in the Alto Douro Wine Region

Culture has been particularly emphasised over the years in discussions about sustainable development, being considered as one of its fundamental pillars alongside the environmental, economic, and social dimensions. The measurement of the impact of culture on sustainable development is still very incipient, so the purpose of this study is to study how culture can influence the sustainable development of the Alto Douro Wine Region, using the tool designed by UNESCO, the UNESCO Thematic Indicators for Culture in the 2030 Agenda. The methodology adopted was based on the collection of secondary, qualitative, and quantitative data. It was intended to propose a specific methodological tool, by selecting a set of 6 indicators, among the 22 proposed by the UNESCO tool, which were considered the most relevant considering the effort and cost of obtaining them. The results obtained revealed that there was a positive evolution of the cultural sector in the territory, after its integration by UNESCO in the World Heritage List, capable of promoting its development based on principles of sustainability. The results reveal a concern on the part of local agents to make culture available to the community, and important steps have been taken regarding the cultural aspects of the region and their benefits as elements that enhance social, economic, and environmental development. However, positive results are still incipient, revealing that efforts must be reinforced to achieve a more sustainable territory.