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.

During her presentation, Simona Spinola, Communication Expert for the European Association of Via Francigena and DETOUR, shared the project’s mission and roadmap, highlighting how DETOUR supports SMEs along Europe’s cultural routes by strengthening skills, entrepreneurial capacity, and access to financing — with special emphasis on the green and digital transition. The conference also provided an invaluable platform for exchange thanks to several roundtables.. Among the contributions, Alan Vella, Project Adviser for the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) highlighted the role of COSME in offering instruments to accompany SMEs in the 2030 transition pathway.
Being featured in this prestigious forum - moderated by the ECTN Secretary-General Manos Vougioukas - represented a key opportunity for DETOUR: the project was introduced to a broad audience of policymakers, experts, and practitioners from across Europe, all engaged in shaping the future of cultural tourism.

Participation in the Sibiu conference was also crucial to position DETOUR within the European dialogue on tourism innovation and sustainability. The project was presented alongside other strategic EU initiatives, reinforcing its visibility in a network of key stakeholders coming from Greece, Ireland, Belgium, Georgia, Netherlands, Latvia, Moldovia, Italy, Spain and Slovenia. “Resilience, sustainability, green transition and digitalisation are the keywords of DETOUR, which embraces a B2B model to empower SMEs along Europe’s cultural routes”, underlined Simona Spinola.

The congress also featured a rich cultural programme, including guided tours of Sibiu’s main points of interest and a study visit to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Biertan and its surrounding cultural landscapes along the Via Transilvanica — a long-distance trail that crosses Romania, connecting its historic regions and showcasing the country’s natural and cultural heritage.