CARMONA HOSTS THE ANNUAL ASSEMBLY OF THE ASSOCIATION OF CULTURAL ROUTES OF SPAIN

LThe Sevillian town of Carmona hosted a new Annual Assembly of the Spanish Cultural Routes Association on Monday. The meeting, held in the framework of the emblematic Alcázar de la Puerta de Sevilla, was chaired by Juan Carlos Fernández Calderón, president of Spanish Cultural Routes, president of the Ruta Vía de la Plata, and mayor of Zafra. Representatives of the various routes that make up this product club also attended, including Ramón Gavira Gordon (Ruta Bética Romana), Sergio Velasco Albalá (Caminos de Pasión), and Fermín Encabo (Rutas de Carlos V), as well as technical staff and managers from all the routes.

During this, the budgets and planned actions for the upcoming year 2025 were approved, which include the launch of the “Experiencias Turismo España” project. This project was awarded by the Ministry of Industry and Tourism through the State Secretariat for Tourism and has an investment of €200,000. Through this project, the "Cruces de Caminos" (Crossroads of Paths) initiative will be developed, aimed at strengthening cultural tourism through the creation of a website and an interactive travel planner; the design of innovative tourist experiences, including gamification; the signage of strategic junctions between cultural itineraries; and promotional actions, training, and a comprehensive communication plan.

On another note, the Assembly also welcomed two new routes that are joining RCE, Cluny Ibérica and Canal de Castilla, whose integration will enrich the association's cultural tourism offering, reaffirming its commitment to Spain's diversity and heritage value.

Project «Crossroads»: Towards Sustainable Cultural Tourism

The “Crossroads” project aims to revitalise cultural tourism by creating connection points between cultural itineraries in 11 selected locations. These crossroads act as gateways to explore the territory and encourage immersive travel, while also promoting sustainable tourism as an alternative to mass tourism.

Among the main actions are:

• Travel Planner: Integrated into the web platform, it will facilitate the organisation of personalised itineraries and data analysis to improve the offering.
• Gamification of cultural itineraries: An innovative strategy to attract young tourists and build loyalty for family tourism.
• Training for local agents: This will provide specialised knowledge to strengthen the social and productive fabric around the routes.

Rutas Culturales de España is a non-profit association that brings together six of the country's most important cultural itineraries: Prehistoric Art Trails, the Vía de la Plata Route, the Roman Bética Route, the Way of El Cid, the Routes of Charles V, and the Routes of Passion. Its work focuses on promoting these routes in the international market in coordination with the Ministry of Tourism and Turespaña, offering a unique proposal that spans from Prehistory to the present day. Its main objective is the promotion and development of sustainable cultural tourism, driving initiatives that connect history, innovation, and sustainability for the benefit of the territories and their communities.