CULTrips-Project

Creating a new concept for socio-cultural village trips in Europe
The project of interpersonal exchange through cultural trips in Europe will be based on a new concept of socio-cultural exchange and tourism in rural areas. As the social-cultural aspects play a key role in this way of thinking, the exchange between tourists and local people and their active participation are the backbone in the project.

Local actors will explore their own communities, present interesting elements of their communities and its activities and receive guests from the partner regions. The project consists of seven Leader groups in five different countries. Local action group (LAG) Redange-Wiltz from Luxembourg is the lead partner. The six other LAG-regions: the Finnish partner regions from Central Karelia Jetina and Joensuu, the two regions Urfahr-West and Oststeirisches Kernland from Austria, the region Valle Umbra e Sibillini from Italy and the Estonian region Raplamaa.

CULTrips activity is based on local level action for developing socio-cultural tourism. Therefore the project will set up a process for find and establish local partnerships which might include different partners, like tourism entrepreneurs, associations, local residents and other actors. The main idea is to encourage actors to participate in cultural exchange and in dialogue between different cultures and to challenge actors to think about own cultural identity and how it is formed. The project has taken first steps in September 2010 and it will last about three years.