From 19 to 20 April 2018, the 8th Meeting of the Thematic Steering Group for Pillar 4 – Sustainable Tourism under the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR) took place in Zagreb, Croatia.

Participants discussed the Routes4U Project, joint programme of the European Commission (DG REGIO) and the Council of Europe (EPA on Cultural Routes), with a view on the EUSAIR macro-regional needs. Constanze Metzger, Routes4U Senior Project Officer, presented the objectives and the implementation of the project. She explained the added value of the Cultural Routes certified by the Council of Europe and underlined how those sustainable transnational grass-root networks embed a multitude of economic, cultural and touristic stakeholders. The Cultural Routes network provide also opportunities for exchanges on lessons learnt, funding possibilities and scientific findings in the Adriatic-Ionian Region and beyond.

It was agreed that the Routes4U Project team will closely work with the actors and stakeholders of the Steering Group for Pillar 4 to implement the project until 2020, e.g. the strengthening of Cultural Routes for macro-regional development, such as the Olive Tree Routes, certified in 2005, or potential candidates as the “Maritime and Coastal Heritage” and the “Roman Emperor Route”.