The French Ministry of Culture organised a dedicated event entitled “33 Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe at the Heart of the Regions” at the Senate in Paris. This meeting aimed to raise awareness of the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe programme among Senators, and to highlight its role as a tool for dialogue among European professionals in heritage, culture and tourism, institutional representatives, local authorities, civil society and visitors.
France plays a leading role in the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe programme: 33 of the 48 certified Routes cross the country, involving thousands of partners at local, regional, and European levels. All French departments are concerned. The integration of the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe into the French national tourism recovery plan, “Destination France”, in late 2021 confirmed their importance in promoting a more sustainable and responsible tourism model throughout the territory.
The Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe foster a virtuous circle, contributing to visitor satisfaction and to the cultural, heritage, economic and tourism development of the regions they pass through. The challenge now lies in maintaining this momentum and strengthening collaboration between French and European actors to generate new ideas, initiatives, and projects. Increased visibility of the Routes and greater public awareness of Europe’s shared heritage are key priorities.
The event gathered representatives of the Council of Europe, the Executive Secretary of the Enlarged Partial Agreement (EPA), delegates from some twenty certified Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe, the Government of Jersey, mayors and local officials, ICOM Europe, Atout France, academics, tourism publishers (including Le Petit Futé, Guide du Routard, Revue Espaces), and the French Hiking Federation.
France has been a member of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe (EPA) since 2011 and is one of its founding member states. Today, France is the European country with the largest number of Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe, with more than 30 Cultural Routes crossing the country and 14 Cultural Routes having their headquarters in France.
Mr Bruno FAVEL, Head of the World Heritage Mission, General Directorate for Heritage and Architecture, Ministry of Culture, and Ms Orane PROISY, Head of the European Heritage Projects and Networks Unit, Ministry of Culture, are France's national representatives on the EPA on the Cultural Routes.
