partner to satisfy the new cultural and creative traveler.
Within the framework of 2018 – European Year of Cultural Heritage, the international networks of the Phoenician Route (Rotta Dei Fenici) and Creative Tourism Network® have formalized a collaboration agreement in order to develop joint actions to create synergies between two forms of cultural tourism, which are the archaeological and the creative one.
Both organizations are world leaders in their respective sectors and share an outstanding experience in tourism and cultural engineering.
The Phoenicians’ Route is an international cultural route, certified by the Council of Europe in 2003, which addresses the theme of intercultural dialogue, following the model of the ancient civilizations, that have laid the foundations of the current Euro-Mediterranean civilization. Its actions contribute to the development of competences and projects between local communities and public and private operators spread over the three continents that surround the Mediterranean Sea.
Creative Tourism Network® is the official organization for the development and promotion of creative tourism, which grants Creative Friendly® recognition to destinations that opt for this new trend, characterized by the participation of tourists in creative activities characteristic of the local culture.
This collaboration will allow on the one hand, to adapt the tourist offer of the destinations that are part of both networks, to the new demand of creative travelers, and on the other, to create value chains for the territories, through the organization of training seminars, the exchange of good practices and joint promotional campaigns.
Specifically, visitors to the Phoenicians’ Route will be able to experience the Mediterranean culture through a selection of activities taught by local artisans:
from creating their own pieces of jewelry or clothing of the ancient civilizations (in particular, Phoenician and Punic, Greek, Roman but also Iberian, Etruscan, etc), to participate in a pottery workshop, to cook authentic culinary recipes, to share their vision of a site in a photographic route or a sketching session, among an infinity of possibilities.
These activities will be previously designed within the framework of training sessions in which not only representatives of the tourism sector will participate, but also local actors from crafts, art, creative industries and citizenship. In this sense, the creative tourism should be understood as a creative way of managing tourism and more precisely, focusing on the human resources, that is tos say, the local communities through their traditions and skills.
Future initiatives, such as the creation of the “Rotta dei Fenici” category within the Creative Tourism Awards, as well as meetings and conferences, will be announced soon.
This project has received a very enthusiastic reception from the World Tourism Organization, for the benefits it generates in favor of a mutual understanding of heritage and local cultures, within the framework of a quality and responsible tourism.
Press relase with the interview with Antonio Barone, director of the Phoenicians’ Route and Caroline Couret, director of Creative Tourism Network® – download the pdf (EN)
