UNWTO – World Tourism Organization

“The Phoenicians’ Route” Cultural and Tourist Project

This proposal takes note of the decision of the 98th session of the UNWTO World Tourism Organization Executive Council (2014) on the promotion and creation of thematic cultural routes as a strategic tool for the development of territories.

Objectives

“The Phoenicians’ Route” Cultural and Tourist Project aims to:

  • propose an innovative international tourism product;
  • encourage local cooperation activities in order to generate a tourist development in the 18 countries that compose the Phoenicians’ Route;
  • promote intercultural dialogue and cooperation as key instruments to support and develop the themes of social cohesion, solidarity and peace among the countries involved in the project;
  • develop tourism products and joint promotional activities
  • designing and managing cultural systems for tourism development;
  • identify project hubs through a multidisciplinary collaborative platform formed by academic, cultural, artistic and scientific institutions in order to give rise to a cultural and tourist development in the Phoenician-Punic cities of the Mediterranean.

Project phases:

  1. Monitoring of existing projects by UNWTO, identification of possible partners and sources of financing (for example UN agencies and UNESCO, the Council of Europe and the European Union, the European Institute for Cultural Itineraries, the Institut du Monde Arabe and other possible international organizations in the 18 member states, private stakeholders, academic, cultural, artistic and scientific institutions, NGOs and other entities).
  2. Development of a two-year action plan able to provide a complete overview of strategies and initiatives designed to develop and promote the cultural and tourist route of the Phoenicians’ Route and foster cooperation among the stakeholders, through investments and facilitations, marketing and promotion activities. The plan will be developed mainly by the UNWTO and the Ministry of Tourism of Lebanon, also involving the main partners.

The UNWTO will leverage the expertise gained in enhancing cooperation among Member States developed through the “Silk Road” Project, as well as through other initiatives such as the “Amber Route” and the “Spice Route”.

Involved subjects
Representatives of ministries of Tourism of Mediterranean countries, World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Lebanon Ministry of Tourism, UNESCO, IMA, Casa Mediterraneo, Council of Europe European Institute of Cultural Routes, Cultural Route of the Council of Europe “Phoenicians’ Route”, Educational Institutions, NGOs, AFMS, Member States.

For further information: www2.unwto.org