The European cultural routes at the heart of the new tourism policies of the European Union.
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european institute of cultural routes |
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| Michel Thomas-Penette |
| 03 October 2010 |
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| Resisting the crisis and strengthening European citizenship |
On the European Day of Tourism two European commissioners, one in charge of tourism, the other in charge of culture, both emphasised the essential role played by cultural heritage in maintaining Europe’s position as the premier global tourist destination.
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Opening of the Exhibition Antonio Tajani
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Once a year, the European Commission invites professionals from the tourism industry to Brussels to give an account of innovative strategies aimed at responding to the economic crisis as well as to competition from other destinations. This year, Commissioner Antonio Tajani, Vice-President of the European Commission and in charge of industry and enterprise, put the European cultural routes at the heart of the debate. Four ministers for culture representing France, Italy, Spain and Portugal acted as moderators at the round table discussions, and the minister for the German-speaking community of Belgium, in charge of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of Ministers for Tourism of the European Union, opened the debates. The European Institute of Cultural Routes, which in 1997 was charged with the development and documentation of the cultural routes of the Council of Europe, and with the provision of technical assistance to the networks managing the routes, was chosen to present the relevance and current state of the programme at the beginning of the conference.
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Commissioner for Culture Androulla Vassiliou
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The Commissioner for Culture Androulla Vassiliou stated, “The cultural routes are a concrete demonstration of the fundamental principles of Europe: human rights, cultural democracy, cultural diversity and identity, mutual dialogue and exchanges�. Commissioner Tajani added, “We must ensure that the sector of European tourism remains at the forefront of innovative solutions. The concept of the cultural routes contributes to the diversification of the European tourist offer. It responds to a growing demand from tourists who wish to discover new destinations and other cultures. In this context, the Commission, in accordance with the new Treaty of Lisbon, can play an important role by coordinating national policies and increasing their impact�. Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni, Director-General for Education, Culture, Heritage, Youth and Sport at the Council of Europe, announced that the two European institutions were to cooperate in order to better analyse, with the help of the European Institute of Cultural Routes, the economic impact of the cultural routes on small and medium enterprises. She also added that the Council of Europe, with the help of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, was actively involving the ministers for culture from its forty-eight member countries in increasing the funds available to the cultural routes.
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The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg welcomed the programme of the cultural routes after ten years of experimentation and research and of emulating the original success of the Ways of Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. The choice of a series of historical paths covering the whole of Europe and converging on Galicia as the first cultural route – followed by other routes to Rome, Jerusalem, Mont-Saint-Michel and Northern Europe (on the way of St Olav) – symbolised a re-evaluation of values such as hospitality and solidarity. As in the past, a journey on foot over hundreds or thousands of kilometres relies on the hospitality of strangers, volunteers. Irrespective of one’s personal reasons for travelling the routes, all walkers come to understand their shared European citizenship. The diversity and complementary nature of the themes of the cultural routes set up over the years enable travellers to explore not only the history and landscapes to be found along the routes, but also the recent past of a Europe divided by uncrossable borders, torn apart by wars between nations, and strongly affected, even today, by ethnic and religious conflicts. The re-evaluation and re-discovery of the great axes of migration and of the way in which migrants have retained and transmitted their own culture in host countries, from the contribution of Jewish communities in terms of heritage and culture to the reconsideration of the culture of Al-Andalus and the world of the Jewish migrations in the Mediterranean, form meaningful approaches to heritage
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Speech Michel Thomas-Penette
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The cultural routes act as ‘mediators’ passing on strong values, and as ‘means of transport’ as much imaginary as physical, establishing a new group of travellers who look for not just authenticity but also common roots between themselves and their hosts along the route. This could be called a new ethical tourism or as in many cases social tourism. These new forms of travel give rise in turn to new economic models of development where sharing replaces the traditional yet harmful relationship of the consumer-tourist. Today, every route benefits from a double network effect. Firstly, routes are set up by a European network of partners from the public and private sectors who share both the investments and the image as well as the economic benefits and the experience gained. Secondly, the growing use of the internet enables people to prepare a journey by consulting data and practical advice, as well as by exchanging information, reactions and impressions. Virtual communities are created around the themes and routes before, during and after the actual experience of the route. These new tourists are ‘digital natives’, those who have been using the internet and social networking sites since childhood, and active retirees who more easily find the time necessary to practising slow tourism. Interaction between generations, experiencing together the growth of Europe, causes some surprising dialogues.
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For the European Commission, the success of the route of pilgrimage the Via Francigena demonstrates the economic importance of a slow, sustainable, cross-border and cross-generational form of tourism. Those in charge of the route, based on the account of Achbishop Sigeric’s journey from Rome to Canterbury in the tenth century, have persuaded Commissioner Tajani to organise the signing of an agreement between Italy, France, Switzerland and the United Kingdom in order to establish “a common long-term strategy for the protection and promotion of the cultural routes, starting with the Via Francigena�. The route is developed by an association of European communities coordinated in Fidenza, Italy, and works closely with the relevant Italian regions.
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President Massimo Tedeschi EAVF
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The European Institute of Cultural Routes, residing in the Abbaye de Neumünster, works to develop partnerships which will provide the conceptual, educational and practical tools required to respond to the new challenges posed by the importance attached to the cultural routes in the new plan for European tourism.
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Philippe Calamel Odysea
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After joining the NECSTOUR network which connects different regions of Europe for the development of competitive and sustainable tourism, the Institute signed an agreement with the Cité de la Culture et du Tourisme durable which entails the introduction of suitable tools related to sustainability and the tourism policies of the cultural routes, as well as the establishment of a distance learning platform for project managers.
In collaboration with the Odyssea Group, the Institute is working to develop the culture and heritage relevant to a route of sea, lakeside and river port-towns in Europe. The first challenge is to set up a single portal bringing together Mediterranean ports. Understanding of this heritage will be enhanced by the themes of the Routes of the Phoenicians, the Routes of the Olive-Tree, the Route of European Vineyards and the Heritage of Al-Andalus. The “Cultural Cruise of the Mediterranean� will also offer tourists the possibility to explore the areas inland which are dependent on port activity.
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More than 5000 people in the conference room
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Exhibition in Berlaymont Building
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