Heritage Interpretation, Cultural Meditation and Tourism Experience Management (ONLINE)

program
5-3000

Course Coordination

Professor Maria Mota Almeida - maria.almeida@eshte.pt

Professor Fernando Completo - fernando.completo@eshte.pt

Professor João Reis - joao.reis@eshte.pt  

 

 

APPLY HERE

 

 

The increasing centrality of meaningful tourism experiences and the appreciation of heritage requires professionals capable of mediating, interpreting, and communicating territories, landscapes, and cultural and natural resources in an engaging, rigorous, and socially responsible manner. The diversity of audiences and contexts makes interpersonal and intercultural skills increasingly relevant, as well as the ability to construct narratives, manage groups, and adapt communication to different tourism experiences.


The Postgraduate Program in Heritage Interpretation, Cultural Mediation and Tourism Experience Management offers specialized training, taught by a faculty with solid experience in distance learning and professional contexts. The curriculum includes landscape and heritage interpretation, art history and interpretation, applied storytelling, tourist itinerary design, cultural, natural, and creative experiences, multimedia and immersive visual experiences, geotechnologies, as well as branding, marketing, and entrepreneurship, articulating conceptual foundations with applied tools.


With a strong applied orientation, the training includes professional practices in heritage mediation and an immersive laboratory, preparing participants to conceive, communicate, and manage contextualized tourism experiences, coherent with the territories and centered on the relationship with the audiences. This postgraduate program is aimed at those who wish to deepen their skills in mediation, interpretation, and communication of the tourist experience, enhancing the quality, creativity, and impact of the experiences offered.

 


COURSE OBJECTIVES

  • Develop advanced skills in the interpretation of natural, cultural, artistic, and intangible heritage, integrated into a structural understanding of tourism as a socioeconomic and territorial phenomenon.
  • Empower professionals to design, plan, and conduct meaningful tourism experiences, including routes, itineraries, and events, based on principles of cultural mediation, interpretive communication, and adaptation to diverse audiences.
  • Promote the mastery of methodologies and tools for heritage interpretation, integrating digital resources, storytelling, narrative guiding, interactive multimedia, geographic information systems, and immersive sensory experiences.
  • Foster skills in the design of tourist itineraries, balanced integration of resources, and operational management of innovative tourism experiences.
  • Stimulate critical reflection and applied research through case studies, supervised professional practices, and immersive laboratories, aiming at the improvement of methodologies, professional practices, and experiences of interpretive guides.
  • Reinforce the ability to develop interpretive tourism projects with territorial, cultural, social, and economic impact, articulating theory, operational tools, and professional practice.

 

TARGET AUDIENCE


Intended for graduates and professionals in the fields of tourism, culture, heritage, arts, communication, social sciences, education, geography, history, digital media, design, cultural management, and creative industries, this postgraduate program aims to deepen advanced skills in heritage interpretation and mediation, as well as in the design and management of tourism experiences.
It is suitable for professionals who work or wish to work in contexts of cultural and natural tourism, heritage visitation, creative experiences, and resource interpretation, including tour guides who wish to update methodologies, enhance scientific and technological qualifications, and develop differentiated experiences for culturally diverse audiences.
The training is equally relevant for professionals involved in heritage enhancement projects, tourism product development, cultural programming, or artistic mediation, as well as for those who wish to integrate storytelling, digital technologies, GIS, and immersive experiences in the design of visits, itineraries, and tourism programs.

 


PROFESSIONAL OUTLETS

  • Mediation and interpretation of cultural, natural, artistic, and intangible heritage in tourism and cultural contexts.
  • Design, planning, and conduct of routes, itineraries, visits, and interpretive tourism experiences.
  • Development, qualification, and innovation of cultural, creative, and nature-based tourism products and experiences.
  • Coordination of heritage enhancement and mediation projects, in collaboration with public, private, or third sector entities.
  • Programming and management of cultural, heritage, and tourism activities, including events and participatory experiences.
  • Application of storytelling, narrative guiding, digital technologies, GIS, and immersive experiences in the creation of tourism experiences.
  • Participation in projects analyzing trends, innovation, and enhancing the visitor experience.

  • Development of entrepreneurial initiatives and sustainable business models in experiential, cultural, and creative tourism.

 

CANDIDATES | RANKING CRITERIA

  • 1st phase of applications | from February 16 to March 22, 2026 - NOTICE
  • 2nd phase of applications | from March 26 to April 27, 2026 - NOTICE
  • 3rd phase of applications | from May 4 to June 7, 2026 - NOTICE

 

Ranking and Admission List of Candidates | 1st Phase - NOTICE


Admitted Candidates - NOTICE

 


SCHEDULES 2026-2027 - Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays


5:30 PM - 7:10 PM
19:30 - 21:10

 


CURRICULAR UNIT SHEETS

 


SCHOOL CALENDAR

 

 

The application results will be published according to the deadlines established in the respective notices, on the ESHTE website, in the tab dedicated to the course to which you are applying.

 

Service hours

 

Formalization of Applications: applications, admission conditions, and payments 

 

To complete the application process, which is conducted exclusively online, the candidate must access the Application Portal. It is necessary to access the Candidate Guide and follow the examples provided exactly (documents can only be up to 1 MB).

 

Application fee | €75
The application fee will only be refunded if the course does not open. For this purpose, the candidate must keep the respective receipt. Applications will only be considered valid if the payment is made within the deadline for their formalization. 

 

The errors or omissions made in filling out the online application form or in the instructions of the application process are the sole responsibility of the candidate.

 

Documentation:

- Citizen Card or Birth Certificate
- Taxpayer Identification Card
- Educational qualification certificate
- Curriculum Vitae with supporting documentation
- Motivation letter, maximum 500 words (mandatory)

For application and enrollment in postgraduate programs, candidates holding an academic degree obtained abroad must present a diploma or final course certificate authenticated by a competent authority (notary, educational institution, or another entity officially authorized for this purpose).

 

 

Slots (numerus clausus)
30 spots*
*minimum number of enrollments for the course to start: 15

 

 

Ranking Criteria

The ranking criteria will be applied only if the number of applicants exceeds the established *numerus clausus* (admission limit). Applications will be reviewed by the Course Coordination, which will determine the status of each applicant and define the corresponding academic credits and study plans. Furthermore, applicants will be selected by the Course Coordination based on the sequential application of the following criteria:

i) Grade/classification obtained in an undergraduate degree or in postgraduate, advanced training, or equivalent programs;

ii) The applicant’s *curriculum vitae* (academic, scientific, and technical background);

iii) A statement of objectives and motivation for the application;

iv) The outcome of an individual interview, whenever deemed necessary by the Course Coordination. Preference will be given to former students of ESHTE programs and to professionals from companies or public institutions with more than 2 years of professional experience, up to a limit of 30% of the available places.

 

In case of admission:
Enrollment | 30€
Registration | 15€
School Insurance | 15€

 

 

Tuition Fees for Postgraduate Courses 2026-27