On 28–29 April, FORTE CULTURA took part in the training seminar for candidate Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe certification at the European Institute of Cultural Routes (EICR) in Luxembourg.

For us, this meeting was an important step forward. During the different sessions, the requirements of the certification process became even clearer: a Cultural Route must not only have a strong theme and a European dimension, but also demonstrate coherent governance, active members, visible communication, reliable data, e concrete impact in the territories involved.

The message was clear: certification is not only a formal recognition. It is a collective commitment.

During my stay in Luxembourg, I also had a one-hour meeting with members of the EICR team. The feedback was encouraging. They clearly recognised the progress made by FORTE CULTURA since last year’s advisory meeting. Our more focused theme, il new Management Plan, il tourism data questionnaire, and even the blog report were all positively received.

This confirms that we are on the right path.

However, the next months will be decisive. We now know exactly what we must do, and where we must improve. The certification process cannot be carried by the Board or the Secretariat alone. It requires the active alignment of all members.

In particular, two basic actions are now essential:

1. Communication and visibility

Every member should clearly show its membership of FORTE CULTURA on its website, using the Logo FORTE CULTURA and, where possible, linking to the network. This is not a detail: it shows that the route is real, visible, and shared by its members.

2. Tourism impact and basic data

Each member is asked to complete the tourism data questionnaire prepared by FORTE CULTURA. Reliable data on visitors, activities, and local impact are essential to demonstrate that our route produces concrete value for territories, communities, and cultural heritage.

For this reason, I have asked the Secretariat to focus on these two priorities in the coming weeks: checking the visibility of FORTE CULTURA on members’ websites, verifying participation in the tourism data collection, and contacting directly those members who may need support.

Our strength is our network. The more we act together, the stronger our application will be.

Luxembourg confirmed that FORTE CULTURA has made a real step forward. Now we must transform this positive feedback into coordinated action. Certification is within reach, but it will depend on our capacity to show that FORTE CULTURA is not only a European idea, but a living, active, and visible Cultural Route.

We therefore invite all members to act now: display your FORTE CULTURA membership, complete the tourism data questionnaire, and help us take this decisive step together.

Filippo Cailotto
Presidente FORTE CULTURA e.V.