Following the 2026 FORTE CULTURA Congress in La Línea de la Concepción (ES), which included excursions to Cádiz, Gibraltar and Tarifa, two institutions from Gibraltar have announced their membership of FORTE CULTURA.

Il Fondo del patrimonio di Gibilterra, represented by Claire Montado, is a charitable, non-governmental organisation legally entrusted with the preservation, promotion and communication of Gibraltar’s unique cultural heritage. The Trust is committed to the protection of historic buildings and sites, develops educational programmes, runs campaigns and guided tours, and works closely with public bodies, private partners and civil society.

Il Gibraltar Tourism Board, represented by Audisa Rodriguez, markets Gibraltar as a destination, operates tourist information services and supports the development and visibility of the destination in areas such as cultural, leisure, business and special-interest tourism. In doing so, the Tourism Board brings important expertise in visitor communication, tourism product development and international marketing to the FORTE CULTURA network.

With these two new members, FORTE CULTURA gains key local partners for one of Europe’s most significant fortification systems: the Gibraltar Heritage Trust strengthens the expert perspective on the protection, conservation and communication of cultural heritage, whilst the Gibraltar Tourism Board contributes additional expertise in tourism communication, destination development and international visibility.

At the same time, both institutions benefit from their involvement in the European Cultural Route of Fortified Monuments: they gain access to an international network of fortified sites, local authorities, and cultural and tourism experts; they can exchange experiences on conservation, interpretation, digitisation and sustainable tourism use; and they can position Gibraltar more prominently as part of a shared European narrative of fortified cultural heritage. For the Gibraltar Heritage Trust, this opens up new professional contacts, opportunities for cooperation and impetus for outreach; for the Gibraltar Tourism Board, it creates additional opportunities to integrate Gibraltar’s fortified heritage into cultural tourism offerings, international marketing initiatives and themed itineraries.

Gibraltar, more than almost any other place, epitomises the interweaving of Moorish, Spanish and British fortification history – from medieval fortifications and bastion defences to the extensive tunnel and bunker systems of the 20th century. The new partners thus open up further opportunities for professional exchange, joint educational initiatives and the continued international networking of Europe’s fortified heritage. We are very happy to welcome the fortress system of Gibraltar in our European Cultural Route.