Value creation in the Cultural Routes of the European Council through the design of military tourism products

Abstract

The Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe (C.R.C.E.) certify itineraries with relevance for their quality and distinction when managing and recovering the cultural heritage of the different destinations.
One of the main purposes of these routes is to achieve sustainable tourism by the use of cultural tourism, which involves society as a whole and attributes value to the European historical heritage.
Military tourism is a typology of tourism that meets all the criteria that the Council of Europe seeks in these routes. Many of them boost a strong historical base which may help the design of innovative proposals, in line with the current requirements of travellers, increasingly interested in having meaningful experiences during their holiday time.
The main objective of this research is to implement military tourism products as innovative and sustainable tools for the development of certified destinations joined in the C.R.C.E.
This research carried out a review of secondary data sources of military tourism as a development tool in different destinations. The results show that some military tourism actions can provide innovation to the local tourism systems. Military tourism is confirmed as an expression of tourism, capable of offering
quality products to enrich the tourism supply of the destinations that have interesting tourism resources. Museums and cultural events as re-enactments add value to C.R.C.E. management network.