Council of Europe Cultural
Routes: Good Idea but Bad
Realization
Daniela Angelina Jelincic, Ph.D.
Institute for International
Relations, Zagreb, Croatia
Council of Europe and Cultural
Tourism
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One of the pioneers in initiatives
concerning European cultural
integrations and European identity
Culture as a strong link of European
nations
Linking culture with tourism
Cultural Routes
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Already in 1960. the idea of discovering
the ‘Others' through travel
Focus on cultural tourism as the best way
of spending free time
Not only a visual aspect and illustration of
basic knowledge taught in schools but also
as a social experience and an opportunity
for individual sensibility development
Key objectives of the Program
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to raise awareness of a European cultural
identity and European citizenship;
to promote intercultural and interreligious
dialogue through a better understanding
of European history;
to safeguard and enhance the cultural and
natural heritage as a means of improving
the quality of life and as a source of social,
economic and cultural development;
to give pride of place to cultural tourism,
with a view to sustainable development.
Definition of a Cultural Route
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A route which includes two or more
countries or regions and is organized on a
theme whose historical, artistic or social
interest is European, either according to
the geographical route’s features it follows
or according to its nature and/or
significance. The route is based on
multitude of features which present
European culture as a whole, and it
includes destinations rich in historic
associations.
Benefits of the Program
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To advance solidarity and tolerance,
To advance exchange of partners
from different countries,
To advance cooperation at the
institutional level,
To advance development of tourism
as to contribute to economic
development of the countries
Themes I
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The Pilgrim Pathways
Rural Habitat
Silk – textile
Baroque
Monastic influence
The Celts
Historic and legendary persons
(Mozart, Schickhardt, Don Quixotte)
Themes II
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Vikings and Normans
Hanseatic sites
Parks and gardens
Cities of discoveries
Living arts
The Phoenicians
The Gypsies
humanism
Themes III
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Fortified military architectures
The Legacy of al-andalus
The Northern lights
Popular festivals and rites
Book and writing
Castillan language
European Jewish heritage
Migration heritage
Themes IV
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Industrial heritage
Olive tree
Saint Martin of tours
The Via Regia
Transromanica – Romanesque
heritage in Europe
Characteristics of the Program
Identified across Europe,
 Labeled by common labels,
 Have common promotional
activities,
 Have common promotional
materials and maps.
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Common label
Cooperation
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With other bodies of the Council of
Europe
With the international organizations
(UNESCO, EU)
with national governments (countries
signatories of the Cultural
Convention which participated in the
creation of routes), regional and local
governments, NGOs and universities
Criteria I
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Presentation of European values
common to several European
countries;
Themes developed by a
multidisciplinary team of experts
from different European regions;
Illustration of European history and
heritage and contribution to diversity
of today’s Europe;
Criteria II
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Stimulation of cultural and educational
youth exchange;
Initiatives and innovation within the area
of cultural tourism and cultural
development;
Implementation of long-term multilateral
cooperation projects through
multidisciplinary networks located in
Council of Europe members states.
European Institute of Cultural
Routes
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Established in 1997 in Luxemburg
Responsible for the continuity and for the
development of the Program
Serves as a technical agency preparing
studies, reports, exhibitions, publications
Processes propositions for new themes
and activities
Evaluates and coordinates networks
responsible for the Program
Importance of the Program
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Promotion of the idea of the
European identity
Promotion of tolerance, common
values and intercultural dialogue
Influence on national tourist
programs development
Cultural Routes in numbers 2007
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Total budget - 96,129,988 Euro
Total visitors in sites – 5,907,000
Cca. 16 Euro average per person
Total number of heritage rehabilitation
projects – 45
Total number of events – 998
Total number of full time employees – 108
Total web visitors – 1,610,784
Criticism of the efficiency of the
Program I
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The Program is not widely recognized
Low visibility of the Program for the target
users
Promotion of routes is the task of the
countries which make part of the route.
CoE helps in criteria and establishing the
route, but not in the promotion. Partly, the
Institute for cultural routes takes its role
in the marketing, but it is not allowed to
lobby for a single route but the Program
as a whole
Criticism of the efficiency of the
Program II
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CoE insists on the fact that cultural
routes are not a tourist product and
does not undertake any promotional
activities in this direction
According to CoE, the Program is
established with the idea of
European identity promotion as its
primary objective
Criticism of the efficiency of the
Program III
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The popularity of the first pilgrim
pathway of Santiago de Compostela
put the other routes on a less visible
map
Criticism of the efficiency of the
Program IV
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It is hard to measure if some tourists
travelled for the Program or visited
some of the destinations on the
route because they were already
there for some other reasons
Too big budget compared to the
number of visitors