The 2025 Advisory Forum is organised by the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe and the European Institute of Cultural Routes, in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Türkiye and the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency.
The topic of the forum will be “Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe and Landscapes: Advancing Heritage Protection through Cultural and Sustainable Tourism”.
Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe, as defined in the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers Resolution CM/Res(2013)66, are cultural and educational heritage and tourism co- operation projects, that aim the development and promotion of an itinerary or a series of itineraries based on a historic route, a cultural concept, figure or phenomenon with a transnational importance and foster understanding and respect for common European values. They demonstrate how heritage and cultures of different and distant regions of Europe contribute to a shared cultural heritage. The Routes can be described as transnational networks of sites or geographical areas that share a common theme, whereby community-based actions are linked by the values of the Council of Europe.
The Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe programme was launched in 1987, with the certification of the Santiago de Compostela Pilgrim Routes, connecting significant historical, cultural, and natural sites across the continent and further, and offering a way to explore their shared heritage. The programme promotes cultural diversity, intercultural exchange, sustainable tourism, and the protection and enhancement of cultural and natural heritage, as a foundation for cultural, social, and local development. There are currently 49 certified ‘Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe’, including ITER VITIS, illustrating different themes of European memory, history and heritage, and contributing to an interpretation of the diversity of present-day Europe. Together, the Routes constitute a transnational network of more than 3000 members in over 60 countries in Europe and beyond.