Route to nowhere: assessing the failure of the Ave Basin Industrial Heritage Route (Portugal)

Implemented in the early 2000s by the Ave Basin Regional Development Agency (ADRAVE), the Ave Basin Industrial Heritage Route (IHR) was deactivated without fully establishing a lasting circuit to showcase the region’s industrial history. This paper aims to identify and critically analyse the contributing factors to the IHR’s inability to create a sustainable industrial heritage circuit. Drawing insights from industrial heritage tourism studies and examining academic papers produced by members of ADRAVE during the IHR implementation to publicise the route, as well as an urban intervention in one of its hubs (Sampaio, Ferreira & Co. Riba d’Ave), the study reveals missed opportunities and challenges in the IHR’s implementation, calling for a revaluation of strategies to effectively preserve and promote industrial heritage in Portugal. The analysis highlights the impact of dominant memory narratives shaped by local political and economic powers, hindering community engagement, and discouraging local involvement. The findings extend beyond Ave Basin, emphasising the importance of more inclusive approaches that involve local communities in heritage conservation initiatives.