TOURISMED, a project funded by the Interreg MED programme, demonstrated that fishing tourism is an effective and replicable response to the common threats related to the depletion of marine resources and the decline of the artisanal fishing sector. In this context, sustainable and experiential tourism represents a promising practice to be disseminated at MED level, as it promotes a sustainable approach to maritime and coastal heritage, while raising tourists’ awareness of the ecosystem and culture of the regions involved.
In this new period, the TOURISMED MED PLUS project aims to capitalise on the Fishing Tourism Business Model proposed in TOURISMED as a theoretical basis for the creation of fishing tourism policy projects and thus facilitate the development of fishing tourism in new territories.
To this end, three of the TOURISMED partners: Fundación Valenciaport, PRISM and PETRA PATRIMONIA CORSICA, which played a key role in the quality of the pilot results, lead the capitalisation process with the role of “givers”. These three entities will guide the transfer process to the three new areas (Molise, Neum and Ulcini) representing the so-called “receivers” territories and involving three public bodies (Azienda Autonoma di Soggiorno e Turismo di Termoli, Municipality of Ulcinj and Municipality of Neum). In addition, the consortium is further reinforced by five associated partners that will play a key role in disseminating the business model and in supporting local policy makers in the field of fishing tourism: the Region of Molise, the Municipality of Fossacesia, the Corsica Tourism Agency, the Tourism Strategy Agency of the Balearic Islands and the Mediterranean Fishing Tourism Association.
The direct and constant interaction between the policy makers involved, the project partners and the beneficiaries will promote policy reform towards the development of sustainable fishing tourism based on the TOURISMED business model.
This approach will lead to the following results:
– Proposals for the reformulation of policies related to fishing tourism in the new territories.
– Memorandum of understanding with policy makers in the receiving territories.
– Capacity building of policy makers for the implementation of TOURISMED Business Model in local/regional policies.
– Permanent policy forum on fishing tourism.
