EUROPETOUR project aims at improving the professional qualification of actors in the cultural tourism market of rural areas in 8 European countries by qualifying staff and local stakeholders in creating attractive offers and in using social media marketing. It equally targets actors from tourism as well as culture and strives in a holistic and integrative approach to include all relevant actors and unlock the economic potential for their business opportunities. The 10 EUROPETOUR partners from Germany, Belgium, Italy, Bulgaria, Romania, Austria, Poland and Spain represent culture, tourism, training providers, local and regional authorities, business developers and cultural touristic networks. They will directly reach 3.000 stakeholders by their networks and in 14 multiplier events. They will train them in the development of cultural-touristic offers and the business-oriented use of social media in the marketing of cultural tourism. EUROPETOUR offers the potential of reaching 9.554.300 culturally interested visitors to six European regions. At the core of the project are 4 cultural touristic European networks in Germany (Baden-Württemberg), Poland (in the border region of Brandenburg and Zachodniopomorskie), Romania (Bucovina) and Austria. They will analyze their experiences, pull strategies and target audiences and define their training needs for creating appealing cultural touristic offers for visitors to their regions. A multi-lingual training module for staff of culture and tourism institutions will be developed. Two more European regions will be included: Marche/Italy and Cantabria/Spain. Culture and tourism will be brought together in a tourism market orientated way. Recommendations for the professional use of social media will be condensed in a guidance document and communicated to culture and tourism institutions on national and European level. A Business & Marketing Concept will help actors to understand and improve business mechanisms. All multi-lingual material will be available in an electronic platform with open access. Cultural-touristic offerers in rural areas often use insufficient marketing tools which do not include the European approach, although the added value in terms of economic benefit is considered as an attractive option. Substantial and sector-specific qualification is needed as precondition for unlocking the full economic potential of cultural tourism. As a EUROPETOUR result the 10 included European countries and regions will have 40 connected cultural touristic offers along cultural and creative topics (e.g. “The art of glass-blowing”, “Historic crafts in Europe’s medieval monasteries”, “Hiking at the Roman limes”, “Religious heritage”). They will connect the regions by ushering visitors from one region to the other. Via the partnership and four cultural-touristic networks an outreach to 16 European countries is foreseen.