Via Pontica: A Road to Image, Tourism, and Business

Abstract

The development of cultural corridors and, more specifically, the popularization of the famed Via Pontica, are indicative of the way Balkan countries invest in the sustainable use of cultural heritage to promote integrated cultural tourism. Sharing a unique heritage, historic roots, cultural values, and modern cultural events, these countries can use cultural tourism to build a different image of the Balkans as a tourist destination. The major topic, The Cultural Route of Via Pontica: Cultural Tourism without Borders, is yet another example of how Balkan countries develop cultural tourism based on heritage and cultural values and not on borders and national priorities to help emerge a recognizable tourist destination.