News & Announcements

The DETOUR Train the Trainers programme has been completed across all partner countries, engaging over 50 tourism stakeholders and certifying 42 experts as official DETOUR trainers. Delivered through online learning, an international webinar and onsite workshops in Italy, Bulgaria, Greece and Türkiye, it strengthened capacities in sustainable tourism, trail management, digital tools, accessibility and tourism product development. National sessions combined expert contributions with practical exercises and field visits, showcasing good practices and local business models linked to long-distance routes. The programme enabled rich cross-country knowledge exchange and built partnerships among public, private and community actors. DETOUR now moves forward with a Europe-wide trainer network ready to mentor and support tourism SMEs and trail-based destination development.

DETOUR project gained strong European visibility and recognition through key international events and network moments. It was presented as a concrete example of how Cultural Routes can support tourism SMEs via training, mentoring and targeted opportunities.

The DETOUR Training of Trainers workshop took place in Ano Poroia (Serres), Greece (21–23 November 2025), hosted by the Mediterranean Center of the Environment. Seven prospective trainers explored how long-distance hiking routes can support sustainable local development, extend the tourism season, and strengthen SMEs. Sessions combined expert inputs on trail management, digital tools, and regional planning with field visits and SME case studies in the Olympus–Kissavos–Mavrovouni area. The workshop aligned the trainer team and produced a practical toolkit for the next phase of training and mentoring.

The DETOUR project held an online webinar on 27 November titled “Tourism Diversification and Economic Impact of Walking Routes on SMEs”, gathering over 100 tourism and culture professionals from Europe and beyond.
Speakers highlighted the rising appeal of walking routes for younger and international audiences and presented results from DETOUR’s survey on the needs and motivations of tourism SMEs in Italy, Greece, Türkiye and Bulgaria.

As the DETOUR project marks its first anniversary in November 2025, it is a perfect moment to reflect on its achievements over the past twelve months. Since its launch in November 2024, the project has built a strong international network committed to fostering entrepreneurial opportunities in the Mediterranean regions connecting four walking routes.

The “Train the Trainers” workshop in Plovdiv - 14–16 November - gathered leading Bulgarian tourism experts to prepare as future mentors within the DETOUR project. Organized by the Management Organization of Thrace Tourist Region, it featured international lecturers and multidisciplinary sessions on modern tourism challenges, from sustainability to digital transformation. The programme included cultural visits in Plovdiv and a study tour to Yustina Winery as a best practice. The experience laid the groundwork for the 12 certified experts who will mentor regional tourism SMEs in 2026.

On 27 November at 9:00 (CET), the DETOUR project will host an open-access international webinar exploring how walking routes contribute to tourism diversification and local economic development.
The event will bring together leading European and international experts from EISMEA (European Commission), UN Tourism, and the European Travel Commission, as well as representatives from the Municipality of Fidenza and the Culture Routes Society, to discuss the challenges and opportunities for tourism SMEs in the green and digital transition.

DETOUR project was featured as a best practice at the Council of Europe Advisory Forum on Cultural Routes, held in Cappadocia (Türkiye) on 22 – 24 October 2025.

From 18 to 20 October 2025, the Italian city of Viterbo hosted the first DETOUR “Train the Trainers” workshop for the Italian key tourism stakeholders. The event brought together 12 tourism, culture and cross-sectoral professionals from across Italy for three days of workshops, field activities, and group sessions focused on digital and green transition, environmental awareness, accessibility, and sustainability in tourism.

The European project DETOUR was featured at the conference “La Via Francigena nel Lodigiano: a road connecting past and future”, held on 11–12 October 2025 in Orio Litta (Lombardy, Italy). The event, organisedby the European Association of the Via Francigena (AEVF) with the support of Lombardy Region, brought together institutional representatives, experts, and local communities to explore the cultural, social, and economic value of the cultural itinerary of Via Francigena, particularly in the context of Catholic Jubilee 2025.

European Heritage Days, supported by the Council of Europe and the European Commission, are an opportunity for citizens and businesses to rediscover European cultural heritage, considered not only as historical evidence and collective memory, but also as an economic resource and an opportunity for development.

From 9–12 October 2025, DETOUR participated in the 4th European Trails and Paths Conference, jointly organised by the European Hikers Association (ERA), the European Mountaineers Association (EUMA) and the Italian Mountaineers Association (CAI). The event gathered experts, researchers, policymakers and organisations from across Europe to discuss “Digitalisation for Hiking and Mountain Trails.”

On 9 October, the European Association of the Via Francigena (AEVF) took part in TTG Travel Experience, one of the leading international tourism exhibitions, presenting the DETOUR project at the stand of Confartigianato, the Italian organization supporting artisans, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and professionals in the tourism sector.

DETOUR was featured at the 18th International Conference for Cultural Tourism in Europe, held in Sibiu, Romania, on 1–4 October 2025. The conference, organised by the European Cultural Tourism Network (ECTN), with the support of Sibiu County Tourism Association, is one of the most relevant international event focused on cultural tourism.

Pavia has just hosted the international meeting of DETOUR – Developing resilient tourism ecosystems along Mediterranean routes, a European project funded under the Single Market Programme (SMP) and coordinated by the Municipality of Fidenza. The event was facilitated by the Chamber of Commerce and the Municipality of Pavia, with the support of the Tourism Councillor Angela Barbara Gregorini.

The DETOUR Project – Developing Resilient Tourism Ecosystems along Mediterranean Routes – is pleased to announce the launch of a Call for Expression of Interest for the participation of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in a comprehensive Training and Mentoring Programme focused on sustainable tourism, digital transformation, and climate resilience.

Tourism professionals, industry associations, public bodies, and local stakeholders are invited to apply for the “Train the Trainers” program, an innovative training initiative launched within the framework of the European project DETOUR – Developing Resilient Tourism Ecosystems along Mediterranean Routes.

We are pleased to announce the launch of the official DETOUR YouTube channel, which presents videos in multiple languages to highlight the project’s objectives and ongoing activities.

The DETOUR project recently held a series of informative sessions—Info Days—in Italy, Greece, and Türkiye to introduce the opportunities available to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating along the cultural routes included in the initiative.

On January 22–23, 2025, the kick-off meeting of the DETOUR project was hosted by the Antalya Provincial Tourism Management (ATM) with support from the Culture Routes Society (CRS).

Launched on November 1, 2024, DETOUR (Developing Resilient Tourism Ecosystems along Mediterranean Routes) is a three-year initiative co-funded by the European Union under the Single Market Programme (SMP), with a total budget of €2 million.