An important element of Mediterranean trade and culture, the Phoenicians’ Route links 18 countries, and among them Greece, with a common heritage. The World Tourism Organization, the Ministry of Tourism in Lebanon and the Council of Europe launched the Phoenicians’ Route Cultural Tourism Programme, which combines public and private sector, at World Travel Market in London. At this event, the participants discussed the expansion and marketing of three important cultural tourism itineraries along the Phoenicians’ Route. The itineraries will connect three continents, 18 countries and over 80 towns.
UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai said that with people travelling to this route, it will be the best way to understand the region. He said that the Mediterranean is the most diverse region of the world and praised the contribution of tourism in linking various cultures, traditions and faiths. Issues like transport, connectivity, visa facilitation, branding and product development of this new route were also discussed at the event. The Phoenicians’ Route is a set-up of nautical trade courses that Phoenicians used since the 12th century BC in the Mediterranean Sea, and these routes became a pivotal part of the Mediterranean culture.
According to UNWTO, the Phoenicians’ Cultural Route is the network of the great nautical courses which Phoenicians used since the twelfth century B.C. as their main trade and cultural lines of communication in the Mediterranean Sea. These routes became an integral and basic part of the Mediterranean culture.
The Phoenicians’ Cultural Route was incorporated into the programme of Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe in 2003 as an international route crossing three continents, 18 Mediterranean countries and more than 80 towns of Phoenician – Punic origin and culture. These cities and towns were the stopping places on a journey along the whole of the Mediterranean Sea through which people exchanged goods, knowledge and experience. The Council of Europe created a good basis of work by establishing and developing the Phoenicians´ Cultural Route.
An ad-hoc Working Group comprising public and private sector stakeholders and international organizations, met twice in January and May 2016 to develop a roadmap and action plan for the implementation of the Programme. The latter aims to develop tourism itineraries and other supporting actions based on the Cultural Route that the Council of Europe has established so far.
The event was a good opportunity for UNWTO, the Council of Europe (EPA-EICR) and the Ministry of Tourism of Lebanon to present 3 pilot cultural route tourism itineraries and discuss them with stakeholders and specifically tour operators.
These tourism itineraries will be differentiated from what is currently offered on the market since they will aim at fostering intercultural dialogue, involving local communities, including cultural events, favor cities and providing a holistic experience to tourists. Additionally the tourism itineraries will be economically, socially and environmentally sustainable, transnational, with a common theme and with a start and end date and place.
Objectives:
1) Raise awareness of the importance and potential of the Council of Europe certified Cultural Route and the tourism itineraries along the Phoenicians´ Route
2) Encourage public and private sector stakeholders to connect and discuss possible joint activities and partnerships especially in developing tourism itineraries
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