Cultural Routes and Itineraries for Territorial Development

Partnership
Initiative

Background

Cultural routes and itineraries represent one of the guiding strategies for collaboration between different organisations and entities, serving as tools for innovation, revitalising territories and promoting new models of governance among the entities to establish collaborative partnerships as drivers of local development.

To this end, the Partnership recognises the Council of Europe's 'Cultural Itineraries Programme' as a point of reference. Throughout its 35-year history, the programme has built a solid and successful methodology that enables the implementation of cultural routes and itineraries, in keeping with quality and sustainability criteria. With a highly beneficial impact in each territory, this methodology promotes preservation and local ownership of heritage as well as social, economic and environmental development. The European Institute of Cultural Routes - EICR in Luxembourg is the technical agency of the programme, gathering the knowledge and expertise generated over the years.

One of the main priorities of the programme and the EICR is the establishment of networks and partnerships; a priority addressed in Latin America and the Caribbean through the 'Inter-institutional cooperation programme on Euro-Ibero-American cultural routes and itineraries', coordinated by the Organización de Estados Iberoamericanos para la Educación, la Ciencia y la Cultura (Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture - OEI). This regional organisation has extensive experience in this field and a strong connection to the EICR, in line with the commitments made at the XIX Ibero-American Conference on Culture in 2018.

In recent years, several partnerships and connections have been established with countries in Latin America and the Caribbean that have chosen cultural routes and itineraries as drivers of development, including Mexico and, more specifically, the Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas Francisco García Salinas (Autonomous University of Zacatecas Francisco García Salinas – UAZ), in Mexico, with significant experience in the field of tangible and intangible cultural heritage and a solid academic record (teaching and research) in the field. It is worth noting the University’s participation in the 'Camino Real de Tierra Adentro' itinerary, registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2010.

Another important connection was established with Ecuador, a country that in recent years has also sought to strengthen its cultural routes and itineraries. In response to this challenge, the Ministerio de Cultura y Patrimonio de Ecuador (Ministry of Culture and Heritage of Ecuador - MCYP) has requested support from the EICR, the OEI and the UAZ, thus forming a Triangular Cooperation Partnership. As an intervention strategy, three existing routes in Ecuador were chosen as the pillars of this triangular exercise - the 'Ruta del origen del cacao' (Cacao Route), the 'Ruta La Florida Tulipe' (La Florida Tulipe Route) and the 'Ruta de acciones culturales' (Cultural activities route) - with the aim of improving these, and creating exemplary experiences and a model to be replicated throughout the country. To this end, two entities from Ecuador with strong ties to the selected routes have joined the Partnership: the Instituto Metropolitano de Patrimonio de Quito (Metropolitan Institute of Heritage of Quito - IMP) and the Secretaría de Cultura del Distrito Metropolitano de Quito (Secretary of Culture of the Metropolitan District of Quito - SECU).

Considering the nature of the challenge posed, the Fundación Academia Europea e Iberoamericana de Yuste (European and Ibero-American Academy of Yuste Foundation - Yuste Foundation), in Spain, a leading organisation in Europe in this field, was considered a strategic addition; providing value with its many years of experience and its key role in the promotion and management of routes and itineraries certified by the Council of Europe. Among these, the 'Route of Charles V', certified by the Council in 2015, is particularly noteworthy. The Fundation was one of the main promoters of this route and for years has held the presidency of the 'Cooperation Network of the Routes of Emperor Charles V'.

In order to reinforce this knowledge, support and occasional collaboration with leading public entities in Europe and Latin America has also been considered, such as the Ministerio de Cultura de España (Spanish Ministry of Culture), the Ministerio de Cultura de Perú (Peruvian Ministry of Culture) and the Secretaría Nacional de Turismo de Paraguay (National Secretariat of Tourism of Paraguay) as well as specialised universities, such as the Grupo Compostela de Universidades (Compostela Group of Universities), in Spain, all of which have long-standing collaboration frameworks with the EICR and the OEI.

Entities and roles

Beneficiary entities

Ministerio de Cultura y Patrimonio de Ecuador

Ecuador

Instituto Metropolitano de Patrimonio de Quito

Ecuador

Secretaría de Cultura del Distrito Metropolitano de Quito

Ecuador

First provider entities

Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas "Francisco García Salinas"

Mexico

Second provider entities

Organización de Estados Iberoamericanos para la Educación, la Ciencia y la Cultura (OEI)

Instituto Europeo de Itinerarios Culturales

Luxembourg

Fundación Academia Europea e Iberoamericana de Yuste

Spain

Collaborating entities

Grupo Compostela de Universidades, Spain

Ministerio de Cultura de España, Spain

Ministerio de Cultura de Perú, Peru

Secretaría Nacional de Turismo, Paraguay

Development challenges

Thanks to this Triangular Cooperation Initiative, the knowledge and expertise of the Partnership member entities and the collaborating entities in the field of cultural routes and itineraries will be used to support and consolidate three existing routes in Ecuador, and to create a model of sustainable development through tourism. This model will be applied throughout the country, with the goal of strengthening existing routes and creating new ones.

The aim is to achieve inclusive and sustainable development within the framework of SDG 8 and SDG 10, contributing to these by 'developing and implementing policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes culture and local products'; 'promoting development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation'; 'enhancing and promoting the social, economic and political inclusion of all people'; and 'progressively achieving and sustaining income growth for the poorest 40% of the population at a rate above the national average'.

This Triangular Cooperation Initiative aims to harness the Provider entities' knowledge of cultural routes and itineraries to transfer its model, based on preserving heritage, in order to contribute to the creation of employment and the promotion of sustainable development through tourism.

Triangular approach

There is a strong consensus that cultural routes and itineraries are one of the most effective strategies for promoting sustainable development in isolated or less developed territories.

In the case of Europe, the 'Council of Europe Cultural Routes Programme' was created in 1987 and is considered a true success story. Through a proprietary methodology for tourism and cultural management, synergies are created between national, regional and local authorities, together with a wide range of social and economic actors, working towards a common goal. Today, 38 certified cultural itineraries serve as key resources for responsible tourism and sustainable development (covering a broad range of themes, from architecture and landscape to religious influences, gastronomy and intangible heritage to major figures in art, music and literature). This knowledge is maximised by the European Institute of Cultural Routes - EICR (Luxembourg), the technical agency of the programme, and the Organisation of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture - OEI (Spain), the liaison organisation between Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean, with the role of coordinator in this Initiative.

Spain is a country with a long history of cultural routes and itineraries. In fact, it is featured in 24 of the 38 itineraries of the Council of Europe, with a leading role in their development, design and implementation. Over the years, several organisations have acquired a great deal of scientific and technical expertise, such as the Fundación Yuste; the driving force behind the 'Route of Charles V', which spans more than 80 cities and historic sites in 13 countries across Europe and Latin America. At the same time, in recent years Spain has been very active in the field of research, training, dissemination and awareness-raising in this area, promoting applied studies and supporting, organising and hosting numerous congresses and specialised seminars.

Mexico is home to various initiatives and actors in this field throughout the country, including the Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas Francisco García Salinas – UAZ, with its participation in the 'Camino Real de Tierra Adentro' (Royal Road of the Interior) itinerary. With five sites already registered on the World Heritage List and 55 other sites located along a 1,400 km stretch of the 2,600 km of this extensive route, this route starts in northern Mexico and reaches Texas and New Mexico in the United States.

Although Ecuador already has a certain amount of experience in this area, the country aims to reinforce its strategy for cultural routes and itineraries, strengthening existing ones while creating new ones. Among the existing routes, the 'Ruta del origen del cacao' (Cacao Route), the 'Ruta La Florida Tulipe' (La Florida Tulipe Route) and the 'Ruta de acciones culturales' (Cultural activities route) have been chosen to serve as a test bed for the development of a model, which can then be replicated throughout the country. Ecuador's Ministry of Culture and Heritage will play a key role in expanding these experiences from the Quito area to the rest of the country.

Thanks to this Triangular Cooperation Initiative, the knowledge and expertise of the Partnership member entities in Europe and Mexico in the field of cultural routes and itineraries will be used to strengthen and consolidate three existing routes in Ecuador to develop their own model to be applied in the rest of the country, aiming to consolidate other existing routes and create new ones (according to a model based on promoting cultural heritage, creating employment and encouraging sustainable development through tourism).

This exercise will be based on three pillars: (a) A capacity building process through the exchange of success stories, in order to provide training for the current cultural routes, (b) A dissemination and awareness-raising process, in order to involve a larger number of public, private and social actors, and (c) An advisory process, in order to promote research to lay the foundations for the future creation and implementation of routes.

The model may be developed by third-party countries in the region. The regional scope of the OEI will be key to identifying needs in neighbouring countries, while its experience in establishing networks and partnerships will be essential to designing and promoting new processes of knowledge sharing, in which Ecuador will be able to offer its knowledge and expertise derived from this Triangular Cooperation Initiative.

Sectoral approach - Contribution to the 2030 Agenda

Primary SDG

Goal 10.1 By 2030, progressively achieve and sustain income growth of the bottom 40 per cent of the population at a rate higher than the national average

Goal 10.2 By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status

Secondary SDG

Goal 17.16 Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources, to support the achievement of the sustainable development goals in all countries, in particular developing countries

Goal 17.17 Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships

ADELANTE SDG

Goal 10.1 By 2030, progressively achieve and sustain income growth of the bottom 40 per cent of the population at a rate higher than the national average

Goal 10.2 By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status

Goal 17.17 Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships

Territorial approach

Intervention methodology

As previously mentioned, this exercise will be based on three pillars: (a) A capacity building process through the exchange of success stories, in order to provide training for the current cultural routes, (b) A dissemination and awareness-raising process, in order to involve a larger number of public, private and social actors, and (c) An advisory process, in order to promote research to lay the foundation for the future creation and implementation of routes. Within the framework of this approach, a number of activities will be carried out to develop a model for cultural routes and itineraries to be implemented in Ecuador.

The first two pillars will be coordinated through a series of five workshops to be held in Ecuador, in the cities of Quito, Loja and Manta. Representatives of all Provider entities and collaborating entities will participate in these workshops, lending their particular knowledge and expertise. Participants will also include representatives of the Beneficiary entities, as well as other actors with particular expertise or interest in this topic in Ecuador, thus promoting the knowledge sharing and awareness of the issue. In addition to these workshops, a consultancy will help define a specific roadmap to enhance each of the three cultural routes selected as a pilot experience in this Initiative. A congress will also be held to foster capacity building, further strengthening this pillar.

A study coordinated by the UAZ will be the cornerstone of the third pillar, to develop the design, creation and implementation of cultural routes and itineraries in Ecuador. This innovative governance-based approach aims to build connections and synergies between all the actors working in the particular territory.

The Initiative will conclude with a congress to be held in the region of Extremadura, Spain, and led by the Fundación Yuste, to support the capacity building initiated within the workshops (first pillar) and validate the study conducted by the UAZ (third pillar), in order to develop the model. All of this will take place in Europe so that participants may visit the important routes and itineraries in Spain, and to engage key European actors interested in collaboration with Ecuador or other countries in the region.

Throughout the Initiative, work will be carried out from a gender equity, environmental and climate change approach, both in terms of identifying and sharing specific experiences and reflecting these approaches in the joint work, and especially in the model.

Direct beneficiaries (individuals)

According to Rule 9 of the Guidelines for Applicants: all persons participating in the activities of the Initiative.

Approximately 100 direct beneficiaries are participating in this Initiative, all of whom are authorities and technical staff from the Partnership member entities.

In addition, more than 100 people from various entities in the countries of intervention, who are not members of the Partnership, will be invited to the workshops and the congress as a strategy to bring attention to the topic.

Budget

EU contribution: 195,000.00 €

Co-financing - Triangular Cooperation Partnership: 65,000.00 €

Total budget: 260,000.00 €

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