ABSTRACT
From the outset, three main challenges were established. These focused on making the programme a catalyst for European social cohesion, the establishment of identity, and the extension of cultural tourism to a broader section of society. The themes are generally of historical, artistic or social interest, and the principal motivating factor behind the development of such cultural initiatives appears to have been to encourage the residents of Europe to discover and appreciate their diverse yet common cultural heritage. The Council for Cultural Cooperation established three main objectives for the Cultural Routes programme:
1 To make European citizens aware of a real European cultural identity. 2 To preserve and enhance the European cultural heritage as a means of improving the
surroundings in which people live, and as a source of social, economic and cultural development.
