The 7th Annual Forum of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) was held on 18-19 October in Sofia, Bulgaria, bringing together over 900 participants from more than 30 countries. The event focused on tourism development and preservation of cultural heritage as a precondition to economic growth and territorial cohesion.

The area covered by the EU Strategy for the Danube Region stretches from the Black Forest (Germany) to the Black Sea (Romania-Ukraine-Moldova). It is composed by 14 countries¹ and 21 Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe².

Stefano Dominioni, Executive Secretary of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes, presented the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe programme with a particular focus on how sustainable tourism is linked to European funds and investments, such as Creative Europe and Horizon 2020 programmes. The meeting was the opportunity to reinforce the cooperation with EUSDR in the framework of the Routes4U Project, joint programme between the European Union and the Council of Europe.

^{1. EU countries: Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. Non-EU countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, Moldova and Ukraine.}

^{2. And 21 Cultural Routes: ATRIUM - Architecture of Totalitarian Regimes of the 20th century In Europe's Urban Memory, Cluniac Sites in Europe, Destination Napoleon, European Cemeteries Route, European Route of Ceramics, European Route of Cistercians Abbeys, European Route of Historical Thermal Towns, European Route of Jewish Heritage, European Mozart Ways, Huguenot and Waldensian trail, Impressionisms Route, Iter Vitis Route, Phoenicians’ Route, Réseau Art Nouveau Network, Roman Emperors and Danube Wine Route, Routes of the Olive Tree, Saint Martin of Tours Route, Santiago de Compostela Pilgrim Routes, TRANSROMANICA - The Romanesque Routes of European Heritage, Via Charlemagne and Via Habsburg.}