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The '''Global Alliance's Creative Cities Network''' [http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en/ev.php-URL_ID=35257&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html], a UNESCO program instituted in 2005, recognizes cities world-wide with reputations as centers of excellence in Craft and Folk Art, Design, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts and Music. The program is intended to help creative cities share ideas on preserving and enhancing their cultural programs. Needless to say, cities in this program can also be appealing travel destinations for the traveller interested in the cities' creative speciality (and other things as well).

The programme is ongoing and UNESCO claims there are more than 20 further cities currently awaiting evaluation to join the scheme.

Current members of the Creative Cities Network are:

UNESCO Cities of Craft and Folk Art

  • Aswan, Egypt (2005)
  • Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States of America (2005)
  • UNESCO Cities of Design

  • Berlin, Germany (2005)
  • Buenos Aires, Argentina (2005)
  • Kobe, Japan (2008)
  • Montreal, Canada (2006)
  • Nagoya, Japan (2008)
  • Shenzhen, China (2008)
  • UNESCO Cities of Gastronomy

  • Popayan, Colombia (2005)
  • UNESCO Cities of Literature

  • Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (2004)
  • Iowa City, United States of America (2008)
  • Melbourne, Australia (2008)
  • UNESCO Cities of Media Arts

  • Lyon, France (2008)
  • UNESCO Cities of Music

  • Bologna, Italy (2006)
  • Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom (2008)
  • Seville, Spain (2006)