Route’s distinctive quality entertaining Poles (7)
I believe the answer is:
transit
'route's' is the definition.
(en route means in transit)
'distinctive quality entertaining poles' is the wordplay.
'distinctive quality' becomes 'trait' (I've seen this in another clue).
'entertaining' is an insertion indicator (inviting in, as for dinner).
'poles' becomes 'NS' (north and south poles).
'trait' enclosing 'ns' is 'TRANSIT'.
(Other definitions for transit that I've seen before include "Travel" , "In - - (en route)" , "The process of going or passing - sic . . . . . . . gloria mundi" , "The act of carrying from one place to another" , "The carrying of people etc" .)