The Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe Annual Advisory Forum 2021 “Resilient and Sustainable Cultural Routes – Innovating Out of Crisis” will take place online from 30 September-1 October.
Organised by the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe (EPA) in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Youth of Georgia and the Kutaisi City Municipality, the Forum will address the role of Cultural Routes in encouraging innovation and sustainibilty in the tourism sector in a post-pandemic world.
“The Annual Advisory Forum will be the occasion to discuss how Cultural Routes can open up opportunities for rethinking tourism for the future with the purpose of developing more resilient and sustainable approaches. Currently, all conditions are in place for Cultural Routes to become an ideal tool for territories to overcome the difficulties and challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic”, said Stefano DOMINIONI, Executive Secretary of the EPA.
Because of the travel and assembly restrictions, that are still in place Europe-wide due to COVID-19, the 2021 edition of the Advisory Forum will be attended online by representatives of the 47 member States of the Council of Europe, representatives of the 45 certified Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe and candidate networks to the “Cultural Route of the Council of Europe” certification, International Organisations (such as EU, UNESCO, UNWTO, ETC, BSEC, OEI) and local and regional authorities, along with academics and experts from the culture and tourism industry.
Three thematic panels with live discussion sessions and certification ceremonies for the 5 newly certified Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe will be among the main Forum events.