European Cultural Routes - Transfer Experiences, Share Solutions
CERTESS project aims at setting up a common methodological framework on how to develop, manage and enhance European Cultural Routes (ECRs), by utilising reference development and governance instruments targeted to foster sustainable cultural tourism.
Most of ECRs identified to date, and regions intersected by them, lack in fact comprehensive methodologies, governance instruments, innovative ideas to implement effective strategies at regional level, with a range of local initiatives that are casually scattered along the route and its associated territory, have no critical mass, do not involve a systematic approach and have poor coherence.
Best Practices (BPs) tackle initiatives on ECRs, from local micro-level to higher decision making, to (a) identify, structure & add value to local cultural & natural heritage assets, (b) develop & adopt well-suited governance tools, (c) promote local enterprises & products along the routes by adopting innovative immaterial services including ITC.
CERTESS partnership includes 11 regional actors from 10 countries (including 4 New Member Countries & 2 islands) all active in ECR development under the coordinating knowledge-repository role of the European Institute of Cultural Routes as Lead Partner.
Project activities consist of:
A) Transfer of experience (identify, document, check on site, select BPs | design BP transfer to suit needs & contexts of partner regions | arrange for tutoring activities by BP transfer to recipient regions).
B) Policy development (identify and adapt governance instruments at regional level involving local stakeholders | draw multi-sectoral  governance instruments (policy)  within a local Route Implementation Plan to be officially acknowledged as a regional strategic programme to promote a specific ECR.
Each Plan shall include: ECR development policy; adoption of reference BPs; support to public-private initiatives; dissemination to other ECR regions; action financing; design of route governance.
Sound project management is secured by adopting quality management tools and a multi-faceted communication plan.  CERTESS project results shall be reflected in a common knowledge-base platform to ensure project durability and to act as ECRs reference at regional level with regard to policies and innovative solutions for cultural tourism, to facilitate ECRs interlinking at all levels among regions and to effectively contribute to the image of “Europe first cultural tourism destination in the world”.
Project partner regions will have the possibility to integrate NECSTOUR network of regions and to cooperate on a long term basis by exchanging experiences with other EU regions and by benefitting of the results already achieved or being achieved in other Interreg projects.
Other EU institutions involved in ECRs will attend project activities as a pool of observers to give their feedback to the project and to reflect its results afterwards at EU level.