The Process of the Creation and Development of the Romea Strata European Cultural Route in Poland as a Tool Supporting Local Entrepreneurship and Cross -Sector Collaboration

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24917/20833296.212.10

Keywords:

cultural heritage, local communities, local entrepreneurship, Romea Strata, cultural routes

Abstract

The aim of this article is to present the process of creating the Romea Strata European Cultural Route in Poland as an instrument supporting local entrepreneurship and cross -sectoral cooperation. Romea Strata, the youngest European Cultural Route, runs from Tallinn to Rome and already plays a significant role in European tourism space. The analysis covers the route’s development proces from the conceptual phase, through signage and infrastructure development, to stakeholder engagement and management mechanisms. The research methods applied in the article include a literature review, focus group discussions, field observations, exploratory hikes and in -depth interviews with local community representatives and route coordinators. The collected data allowed for the identification of stages in developing the route as a tourism product and patterns of cross -sectoral collaboration. The results indicate that a well- designed and effectively managed cultural route can stimulate local entrepreneurship, strengthen community identity and support the preservation of cultural heritage. The Romea Strata exemplifies a tourism product that integrates educational, academic and entrepreneurial initiatives, demonstrating how the process of creating a heritage -based product can contribute to sustainable regional development.

Author Biographies

Małgorzata Zdon-Korzeniowska, Uniwersytet Komisji Edukacji Narodowej w Krakowie Instytut Prawa Ekonomii i Administracji

Małgorzata Zdon-Korzeniowska, PhD. – assistant professor at the Department of Local and Regional Development at the Institute of Law, Economics and Administration of the University of the National Education Commission in Krakow. Doctor of economics in the discipline of management sciences (Jagiellonian University, Faculty of Management and Social Communication). Master's degree in economics in the field of entrepreneurship and innovation (University of Economics in Krakow). Research interests: entrepreneurship/market orientation of local governments, territorial marketing of various scales of spatial systems, tourism management at the local and regional level, building tourism brands and products, development of agritourism and functioning of agritourism farms, as well as the use of EU funds in the spatial arrangement and sustainable development.

Franciszek Mróz, University of the National Education Commission, Krakow

Franciszek Mróz, PhD, Assistant Professor at the Department of Tourism and Regional Studies, Institute of Management and Social Sciences, Pedagogical University of National Education Commission in Kraków, and Head of the Research Team European Cultural Routes their space and history. A socio -economic geographer specializing in pilgrimage studies, religious and cultural tourism, and European cultural routes. His research focuses on the origins and functioning of pilgrimage centers in Europe, tourism geography, the relationship between religion and health, and the role of cultural heritage in social and tourism processes. Since 2006, he has conducted extensive fieldwork covering more than 12,000 km of pilgrimage routes across 16 European countries, including the Camino de Santiago, Via Francigena, St. Olaf’s Way, the Romea Strata and the Routes of Sts Cyril and Methodius. He is the author of over 130 academic publications, including two monographs, editor of 16 edited works, and author of three travel guides. He has also published more than 80 popular -scientific articles and co -organized over 30 academic conferences, including 15 international ones devoted to the Camino de Santiago. He is a member of the Academic Committee of Associazione Europea Romea Strata, the International Committee of Experts for the Camino de Santiago, and the Archicofradía Universal del Apóstol Santiago.

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2025-12-23

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Zdon-Korzeniowska, M., & Mróz, F. (2025). The Process of the Creation and Development of the Romea Strata European Cultural Route in Poland as a Tool Supporting Local Entrepreneurship and Cross -Sector Collaboration. Entrepreneurship – Education, 21(2), 161–187. https://doi.org/10.24917/20833296.212.10

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Vol. 21 No. 2 (2025): Entrepreneurship in the era of digital transformation and social change

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