A new interregional cooperation project has been launched, starting in January 2017, on Cultural Routes as Investment for Growth and Jobs: Cult-RInG.

Cult-RInG is the only project in the Interreg Europe programme that focuses on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe. 

The first phase of the project (2017-2018) will focus on the exchange of experience and policy formulation resulting in action plans for implementation during the second phase (2019-2020).  

 

The policy learning process will be organised with a focus on three specific themes related to Cultural Routes impacts and development, viz:

  • Assessment of existing cultural routes (ex-post), in terms of socioeconomic development, direct and indirect benefits for Growth & Jobs. Six Council of Europe certified cultural routes through the partner regions are selected: Via Francigena (Lazio Region, Italy), Saint Olav Ways (Vastra Gotaland region, Sweden), Via Regia (Podcarpatckie region, Poland), Santiago De Compostela (CIM Alto Minho, Portugal), Phoenicians (Pafos, Cyprus), Iter Vitis (Central Macedonia, Greece).
  • Capitalisation of established best practices from previous projects (especially CHARTS and CERTESS completed projects in the INTERREG IVC programme).
  • Development of new interregional cultural routes, based on the above assessment and capitalization, such as St Paul's steps (through Pafos - Cyprus, Macedonia - Greece and Lazio, Rome - Italy).

 

The project approach includes:

- interregional workshops, leading to the production of 'Policy Guidelines'

- staff exchanges, in order to provide hands-on experience and thus strengthen the policy lessons

- study tour, where key issues and good practices can be demonstrated on the ground for the benefit of policy makers

- stakeholders engagement

- action plans preparation and implementation monitoring including new cultural routes development and enhanced visibility of existing routes, with links to SMEs, host communities, sustainable cultural tourism development, and mainstreaming of the results into Operational Programmes and European Structural and Investment Funds.

 

In 2017, all project events will be shared in the frame of the UN ‘International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017 and all project events next year will be included in the activities for the ‘European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018’, in close cooperation with the European Institute of Cultural Routes, the Council of Europe and EU institutions.

The Cult-RInG project will conclude with an international conference, as a high-level event, in the Spring of 2020.