"The European heritage routes' project is a welcome concrete demonstration of the power of cultural heritage to serve as a wellspring for sustainable economic development for communities and regions," said UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova.

"I am confident that this European project will provide communities, conservationists, and political leaders with a model that can inspire development strategies drawing on the outstanding universal value of World Heritage sites in many parts of world," she added.

To Elzbieta Bienkowska, EU Commissioner for internal market, industry, entrepreneurship and SMEs, the cultural routes scheme "brings growth and new job opportunities," and "helps people to understand each other's past, what is of paramount importance nowadays."