The “Declaration of the 10th Annual Advisory Forum on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe” declares, that sustainability remains a priority development area for the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe Programme to help provide opportunities for rethinking culture and tourism for the future.
Sustainable cultural development is a priority field of action for the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe programme, which promotes alternative cultural tourism modalities as conscious and responsible forms of access to heritage, that both benefit local population, protect the environment and enhance the tourist experience across Europe.
During three thematic panels with live discussion sessions, Representatives of International Organisations (such as EU, UNESCO, UNWTO, BSEC, OEI), EPA member States, Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe, local and regional authorities, academics and professionals in the cultural tourism sector acknowledged, that the COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed how people lead their lives and, therefore, the landscape in which the Cultural Routes are operating. It was concluded, that digitalisation offers a way of fortifying Cultural Routes and developing their resilience in times of crisis and that Cultural Routes should not simply respond to calls for sustainability, but position themselves at the vanguard of movement towards sustainability.
The 11th Cultural Routes Annual Advisory Forum, which will take place in Chanià (Greece) in 2022, and the 9th Training Academy on Cultural Routes, which will be organised in Fontainebleau in cooperation with the certified Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe “Impressionisms Routes”, were also presented at the event.
The complete text of the “Declaration of the 10th Annual Advisory Forum on Cultural Routes: Resilient and Sustainable Cultural Routes” is available here.
Find the complete programme, working documents and videos of the 10th Cultural Routes Annual Advisory Forum 2021 here.
