Cultural routes and itineraries for territorial development

Introduction

This initiative was a Triangular Cooperation effort, developed with the support of the ADELANTE Window, aimed at strengthening and consolidating three existing cultural routes in Ecuador while creating a sustainable tourism development model. The objective was to develop a model that could be applied nationwide, reinforcing existing routes and facilitating the creation of new ones.

Objectives

This Triangular Cooperation Initiative sought to harness the Provider entities' knowledge of cultural routes and itineraries to transfer its model, based on the preservation of local heritage, in order to boost employment and promote sustainable development through tourism.

Leveraging international expertise

This Partnership drew inspiration from the "Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe" programme, which, over its 35-year history, has established a solid and successful methodology for the implementation of cultural routes and itineraries, with a commitment to quality and sustainability.

Key contributors included:

• European Institute of Cultural Routes (EICR, Luxembourg) – the technical agency of the Council of Europe’s programme, serving as a repository of knowledge and expertise accumulated over the years.
• European and Ibero-American Academy of Yuste Foundation (Spain) – contributing expertise in cultural heritage and sustainable tourism.
• Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science, and Culture (OEI, Spain) – providing insights into education and cultural development strategies.
• Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas Francisco García Salinas (UAZ, Mexico) – bringing significant academic experience in tangible and intangible cultural heritage, along with research and teaching expertise in the field.

These international partners provided Ecuadorian entities with the necessary knowledge and tools to enhance their strategy for promoting cultural routes and itineraries, in response to the development priorities identified by:

• Ministry of Culture and Heritage of Ecuador (MCYP)
• Metropolitan Institute of Heritage of Quito (IMP, Ecuador)
• Secretary of Culture of the Metropolitan District of Quito (SECU, Ecuador)

Strengthening three key cultural routes in Ecuador

For this initiative, three existing cultural routes in Ecuador were selected as the foundation of the triangular cooperation exercise:

1. Ruta del Origen del Cacao (Cacao Route)
2. Ruta La Florida Tulipe (La Florida Tulipe Route)
3. Ruta de Acciones Culturales (Cultural Activities Route)

The goal was to enhance the quality, sustainability, and visibility of these cultural routes while replicating successful experiences across the country.

By integrating European and Latin American best practices, this initiative contributes to the preservation of Ecuador’s cultural heritage, the promotion of sustainable tourism, and the strengthening of local cultural economies.

Project activities

This initiative is structured around four activities, which, based on an initial assessment, aim to create opportunities for reflection and training in order to create a model of sustainable development through tourism based on cultural heritage. To this end, five workshops held in Ecuador, one congress in Spain, a Study and a consultancy were implemented. Key activities included:

• Capacity building: training to the representatives of Ecuador through the exchange of success experiences in Europe and Mexico, in order to provide training for the current cultural routes. 
• Model implementation: through an advisory process, in order to promote research to establish the basis for the future creation and implementation of routes, culminating in a model for cultural routes and itineraries adapted to be implemented in Ecuador.
• Research collaboration: a study coordinated by UAZ (Mexico), in which foundations were laid for the design, creation and implementation of cultural routes and itineraries in Ecuador. This innovative governance-based approach aimed to build connections and synergies among all the actors operating in the territory.
• Community Engagement: a dissemination and awareness raising process, in order to involve a larger number of public, private and social actors in the reinforcement of the cultural routes existing in Ecuador.

Throughout the Initiative, a gender-based approach was prioritised, with a focus on the environment and climate change; both in terms of highlighting and sharing specific experiences and in terms of presenting and reflecting these approaches in the joint work, and especially in the model.

Results

Through this Triangular Cooperation Initiative, the knowledge and expertise of the Partnership's member entities and the collaborating entity in the field of sustainable territorial development through cultural heritage and tourism was used to produce a final document that systematises the process of design, creation and application of the knowledge generated in Ecuador entitled, Cultural routes and itineraries for the development of the territories which can be replicated in other territories of the country as well as other countries of the region interested in this process.

The results of this Initiative contributed to achieve inclusive and sustainable development within the framework of SDG 8, contributing to these by 'developing and implementing policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes culture and local products', among others objectives.

Implementing partner

Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture - OEI