On 11–12 December, the Informal Contact Group of Cultural Routes met for the first time at the headquarters of the European Institute of Cultural Routes in Luxembourg. 

The two-day meeting provided an opportunity to clarify expectations, address the practical realities encountered by the routes, and strengthen trust between the Secretariat and the routes to support future cooperation. The participants discussed several key challenges related to routes including the inter-route cooperation, stakeholder engagement, and issues related to brand promise among others.

The opportunity represented by the setting of the group was positively received, laying the foundations for a renewed approach to the development of the programme. In the coming months, further efforts will focus on defining the specific roles and working methods of the Informal Contact Group, while ensuring transparency and supporting democratic functioning. This should be reflected, among others, in the programme and approach of the 13th Training Academy of Cultural Routes. 

The Informal Contact Group was set up to advise and support the secretariat in taking into account the view points of cultural routes in the development of the programme and to be an interface between the secretariat and the cultural routes on matters related to networking and cooperation. The group is composed of Antonio Barone, Phoenicians’ Route; Benedetta Diamanti, European Route of Ceramics; Danko Ćosić, Roman Emperors and Danube Wine Route; Inger Harlevi, The Hansa; Simone Zagrodnik, European Route of Historical Thermal Towns; Quintín Correas Domingo, European Routes of Emperor Charles V.