The Phoenicians’ Route and Iter Vitis, two important and historic Cultural Routes certified by the Council of Europe, launched a new international award. The award aims to support and reward projects and innovation that enhance cultural and wine heritage and promote responsible, creative, experiential and sustainable forms of tourism in the member countries of the two international networks.

The awards are for different categories of subjects. Each year, the local authorities of tourism, cultural and oenological destinations will be awarded as well as personalities, operators, organizations and businesses, whose activities have allowed the development of models of enhancement in the cultural, wine, social and tourism fields.

For the first edition the following categories will be awarded:

For Iter Vitis
- Best Practice of Archaeobotanical Tourism
- Most original practice of wine tourism
- Best crossborder wine tourism product
- Most innovative wine museum
- Paolo Benvenuti Award for the safeguard of ancients and autochthonous grapes

For The Phoenicians’ Route
- Innovative and creative enhancement of a cultural / archaeological site
- Innovative and creative enhancement of an Archaeological Museum
- Enhancement of underwater archaeological sites
- Innovative Soft mobility cultural tourism practice
- Nautical and cultural tourism activities, for innovative and creative enhancement
- Innovative and creative enhancement activity carried out by an association
- Innovative and creative enhancement activity carried out by a company

- Best practices of innovative and creative enhancement carried out in the field of communication

- Best practices of innovative and creative enhancement carried out in the context of research

- Special Award for the personality who has distinguished himself/herself for his/her activity in the archaeological, cultural and enhancement fields

For both Cultural Routes
- Best innovative and creative enhancement activity carried out in a location – destination that combines archaeology and oenology

Finally, the CROSSDEV Award, in collaboration with the CROSSDEV project

1) The best practice that involves local communities in the development of a sustainable cultural / archaeological / gastronomic or naturalistic tourism product
2) The best practice implemented by a local authority for the promotion of sustainable tourism in its area

Applications must be submitted no later than 18 September 2021. You can find out more about the application process and criteria on the respective websites of the two Cultural Routes (www.fenici.net and www.itervitis.eu ).