The advantages of sharing: A case study of the Jewish Heritage Network in Spain

This chapter addresses a specific organizational form (orgware) of cultural heritage, the creation of an itinerary that connects different locations linked by a heritage-based theme. This specific case focuses on a network of Jewish heritage cities (Red de Juderías) in various regions of Spain, organized through a "route" as a powerful tourist product, with potential for developing further at a European scale. The key aspects of this case lie in the recognition of the intrinsic added value of a spatially articulated heritage complex over its individual components, and in the possibility of taking advantage of such spatiality to multiply valorization opportunities through tourism. Other interesting issues are the unique governance model which sustains the network, and the contribution that it may make to more balanced and sustainable tourism development in areas which are increasingly subject to global pressures on their relatively scarce resources and surfaces, like Spain as in this case. Considering that the overall objective is to understand and illustrate the spatial and functional diversity of cultural heritage and of its tourist use, this case study may well cast new light on a good practice in cultural heritage management.