The Eurobarometer survey assesses the attitudes and opinions of Europeans about cultural heritage, investigating their personal involvement, interest, and the perceived importance and values they attach to Europe’s cultural heritage. It also looks into the impact of cultural heritage on tourism and jobs, accessibility, and responsibilities for its protection in Europe.
The survey found that the vast majority of Europeans (84%) think cultural heritage is important to them personally. The same proportion of respondents think cultural heritage is important for their local community, 87% think it is important for their region, 91% think cultural heritage is important for their country and 80 % think it is important for the EU.
Just over half are personally involved in cultural heritage both in Hungary and at an European level. For the question „do you do a traditional activity?”, 11 percent of Hungarian respondents said yes, which is 3 percent above the European average.
By assessing the accessibility of cultural heritage, it can be noticed that the participation of Hungarians in culture is slightly behind the European average. The main reasons are cost (46 %), lack of time (39%) and lack of interest (25%).
Many Europeans are proud of the history and culture within their local communities; more than 80% take pride in historical monuments or sites, works of art or traditions from their region or country Also, 7 in 10 agree that they take pride in a historical monument or site, work of art or tradition from a European country other than their own. Almost eight in ten respondents agree Europe’s cultural heritage or cultural heritage-related activities create jobs in the EU (79%).
A large majority of Europeans (88%) believe that Europe's cultural heritage should be taught in schools, as it is highly relevant for our history and culture.
When it comes to actors that should do the most to protect Europe’s cultural heritage, Hungarian respondents mentioned local communities (38%), the EU (40%), local and regional authorities (29%) and associations, NGOs, charities (28%).
Further information about the survey is available on the Eurobarometer website.