2021-2024
QUEST promoting QUality intErnships in Sustainable Tourism and cultural heritage management is a KA220 – Cooperation partnerships in higher education project co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme.
QUEST project aims at increasing HE students’ employability in the tourism sector, one of the fastest pacing sectors in terms of innovation and most afflicted by Covid-19 emergency.
There is a continuous challenge of developing students’ knowledge and employability attributes in two ways:
– the first is by embedding employability skills within curricula through supervised work experience
– the second is by building these into curricula through stand-alone skills-based training.
In order to do so the QUEST partnership will address students’ employability by analyzing skill gaps, developing a flexible long distance training program supported by innovative tools (QUEST project results) developed during the project, and conducting 5 blended mobility of students (for a total of 30 students) and a specific training of HEIs and company internship tutors to support students. On a parallel effort, QUEST will develop and implement new policies and a cooperation methodology to bring together the education and business sector to work increase the success of the methodology designed to enhance students’ employability.
The project will develop through 4 innovative project results:
1. a flexible learning programme: an innovative and skill-based programme for HE students that face the tourism sector labour market;
2. an e-learning platform and app: a unique platform for HE student, HEI trainers and organisations tutors that supports them all along the learning programme and work experience;
3. a QUEST policy and cooperation methodology: a cooperation agreement between HEIs and tourism organization in the Mediterranean area, supported by a Cultural Route of the Council of Europe;
4. a manual: a comprehensive publication summarizing QUEST methodology, learning programme, activities and results to support further exploitation.
Project’s partners:
- Libertas International University (Croatia) – LEAD BENEFICIARY
- The Phoenicians’ Routes with headquarters in Italy;
- Solin Tourist Board, Croatia;
- Timesis Srl, Italy;
- University of Malaga, Spain;
- Arte&Cia Gestión Cultural y Ocio, Spain;
- University of Nicosia, Cyprus;
- Larnaka Tourism Board, Cyprus.
Total Project duration: 36 Months (2021-2024)
U-Mar promoting Enhancing underwater archeology to make it an innovative tool for developing sustainable & creative tourism is a KA220-VET – Cooperation partnerships in vocational education and training – project co-funded by Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.
The general aim of the project U-Mar is to develop the knowledge and the valorization of heritage related to underwater archaeology, through the following specific objectives:
- Training professional figures with specific skills in underwater archaeology, how to valorize it and how to manage these cultural sites. The project will therefore train new experts capable of fostering the touristic offer of these sites from multiple points of view, by setting up an ad hoc innovative training course.
- Developing sustainable and environmentally friendly tourism around underwater archaeology,
improving the tourist-cultural offer and expanding the reference target of users. These objectives will be reached also by making underwater archaeology more accessible to people not willing or not able to dive or swim, by creating digital pathways to the sites and by developing interpretation centres on land. - Provide guidelines for organizations that want to develop strategies for enhancing the underwater archaeological heritage, with different possibilities of application depending on the context and with a particular focus on the creation of underwater archaeological itineraries, with their specific heritage and on the professional’s skills required.
- Increase knowledge of the underwater archaeological heritage and the importance of its conservation and enhancement, not only by tourists, but above all by young people and
local communities living in those territories.
The project will develop 3 innovative outputs:
1. New Training Course on Underwater Archaeology for Cultural Operators
2. Development of U-Mar e-learning platform;
3. Creation of Interpretation Centres on Underwater Archaeology.
Project’s partners:
- The Phoenicians’ Route headquartered in Italy – LEAD BENEFICIARY;
- Sicilian Region – Superintendency of the Sea (Italy);
- ICUA – International Centre for Underwater Archaeology in Zadar (Croatia);
- CEIMAR Foundation (Spain);
- Pafos Regional Board of Tourism (Cyprus);
- ACIF – Industrial and Commercial Association of Funchal – Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Madeira (Portugal);
- ARGO Consulting company (Italy).
Total Project duration: 24 Months (2022-2024)
2020-2022
THE FAB ROUTES: Digital Skills To Promote Eu Cultural Routes is a KA202 – Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training project co-funded by the Erasmus + programme under the Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices call.
The general objective of the project is to design a new training methodology and educational module aimed at fostering and enriching the knowledge and transversal competences of the staff members and operators of the EU Cultural Routes (CR) recognized by the Council of Europe, in order to improve CR management and promotion in the field of sustainable and cultural tourism.
Project’s partners:
- ATRIUM – Architecture of Totalitarian Regimes in Europe’s Urban Memory (Italy) – LEAD BENEFICIARY
- The Phoenicians’ Routes based in Italy;
- European Association for the Preservation and Promotion of Jewish Culture and Heritage based in Luxembourg;
- The Olive Tree Cultural Foundation based in Greece;
- The European Routes of Emperor Charles V with headquarters in Spain;
- The Via Regia based in Germany – even though based and registered in one county, each Association/Cultural Route is composed by a number of authorities located in other European countries),
- The Center for Advanced Studies in Tourism – CAST University of Bologna (responsible for scientific coordination)
- ARGO, a private company specialized in the implementation of cultural projects with important expertise on audio-visual training production and digital communication strategy.
Total Project duration: 24 Months (2020-2022)
For further information www.facebook.com/FabRoutes
2019-2021
TRAMES Project
TRAMES is based on the Phoenicians’ Routes, a transnational thematic Route recognized since 2003 in the Council of Europe Programme «Cultural Route» and since 2016 object of interest of the UN World Tourism Organization (Core Working Group). The project promotes the cultural and archaeological heritage of Mediterranean civilizations following the ancient nautical and maritime routes.
The transnational thematic products that will be developed, identified as “Smart Ways”, are based on the topics of:
- Creativity and Creative Tourism;
- Heritage Pedagogy
- Creation of innovative edutainment technologies as tools to engage tourists and promote the tangible and intangible heritage
- Gamification as a way to attract, engage and educate visitors on cultural heritage
- Internationalization
- Deseasonalisation
- Sustainability and involvement of local communities (community tourism)
TRAMES is funded by the European Commission within the COSME program, with a budget of € 381.376,00.
Project objectives
- revitalizing tourism attractions and destinations, and diversifying transnational tourism experiences;
- prolonging seasonality of EU destinations and enhancing sustainability of tourism offers;
- boosting innovation across transnational tourism value chains through the collaboration of tourism operators and CCIs.
The partners
The partnership consists of eight participants from six european nationalities:
Timesis S.r.l. – Project leader and DMC – Destination Management Company
Italian SME with large expertise on project management, monitoring and evaluation in EU, ACP and MED area countries. In 2014, Timesis srl created a Destination Management Company, Montepisano DMC, to promote the Monte Pisano area.
Top Kinisis – Tour Operator, Cyprus
Top Kinisis is one of the most prominent Tourism Organizations in Cyprus. Top Kinisis, has a remarkable ground of successful acquisitions, mergers, awards and accreditation and is providing a complete range of travel and tourism services both in Cyprus and abroad.
EGA – Entertainment Game Apps, SME, UK
EGA creates unconventional videogames that have the ground of ancient history. The company therefore has dual identity that binds itself to the world of videogames, but which also takes care of historical research on the European territory.
PleinAir – Edizioni Plein Air, Publisher of the tourism PleinAir, Italy
Edizioni Plein Air is the publishing house that manages PleinAir magazine, one of the best-selling travel and tourism monthly magazines in Italy and an important travel decision maker. PleinAir has always promoted new horizons for tourism, culture and leisure activities, bringing new motivation, creating models capable of designing a new way to travel.
Autonomous Municipality of Melilla, Spain
Melilla is one of two autonomous Spanish cities on the Moroccan coast. Its economy rooted in cross-border commerce, and its population nearly equally divided between Spanish Christian and Berber Muslim, creates a strongly multicultural atmosphere.
Rotta dei Fenici – Cultural Route of the Council of Europe, Italy
Is a Cultural Route of the Council of Europe to which both territorial and thematic networks adhere. The Phoenicians’ Route passes through three continents and 11 countries and aim therefore is to promote Mediterranean culture, to strengthen the links between Mediterranean countries sharing similar history.
Inizjamed – Cultural Association, Malta
Is a voluntary non-governmental cultural organization founded in 1998 in Malta is committed towards the regeneration of culture and artistic expression in the Maltese Islands and the active promotion of a greater awareness of the Mediterranean cultures.
Xanthi Chamber of Commerce, Greece
The mission of the Chamber of Commerce is to foster economic development in Xanthi by protecting and promoting commercial and industrial interests. The creation of a Regional development Tourism Agency gives added value to the providing services of the Chamber and parallel to the Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace.
Specific actions of the TRAMES project
- Creation of a videogame based on the Mediterranean trading routes to be integrated in local tourism operators’ marketing strategy
- Development of eight “Smart Ways” and Interpretation centres in which the local communities are the center of the tourism offer, promoting cultural and natural heritage and the added value of hospitality and traditions
- Organization of seven Intercultural Dialogue Festival, to enhance international visibility of destinations through the sharing of best practices and creation of a new model for the promotion of intercultural common values by the Mediterranean cultures, a joint event of international relevance.
Total Project duration: 24 Months (2019-2021)
For further information www.tramesproject.eu
In the Adriatic-Ionian Region, the Phoenicians’ Route develops its branding strategy in line with the overall branding strategy for the EU strategy for the Adriatic-Ionian Region (EUSAIR). The brand contribute to increase the competitiveness of the Cultural Route of the Council of Europe and to develop new products and service.
Specific objectives
- Build the Adriatic-Ionian ‘brand’ linked to a cultural tourism product based on the identity that it intends to create;
- Diversify and expand the cruise and nautical sectors into coastal hinterland economies, therefore start the design of the connection systems to be realized through agreements between private companies;
- Establish a R&D platform with universities, research centres and the business community to develop new tourist products and services;
- Promote new tourist routes for walking, cycling and sailing, etc.;
- Embrace the Adriatic and Ionian cultural heritage by working together with the cultural sector;
- Improve access to tourism products and services for senior groups, disabled people, low income groups, etc.
Activities
- Network of Museums and archaeological areas: Identification and selection of 20-25 museums and/or archaeological sites in Croatia, Greece and Italy that link to the themes developed by the Route;
- Branding and coordinated image in line with the Adriatic-Ionian ‘brand’: Design and realization of a kit composed by a corner, a card (the Smart Way card), promotional material (leaflets) and a publication (brochure) to be distributed to each museum / archaeological area;
- Design of “Smart Ways”: Identify the attractive resources in the areas involved, enhance the existing through networking activities and sustainable integrated production chain in which the “Way” chosen acts as a collector of heritages, communities and single services, developing a territorial quality brand;
- Strategic and Territorial Marketing: Develop marketing actions based on Sustainable and Creative Tourism to promote and sell the “Way” through the territorial quality brand “Phoenicians’ Route – Routes4U” via actions through the collaboration of tour operators and cooperation with national and regional tourism boards.
For further information, please see the dedicated section and the official website www.coe.int/routes4u
2017-2019
The project was born with the aim of designing and developing training actions able to provide adequate and innovative transversal skills for the achievement of a new professional title of “Incoming services technician specialized in Social and Accessible Tourism” – or other under development – as a qualification recognized in Europe (MEC).
General goals:
- to outline the skills necessary to carry out the profession of expert of Social Tourism in Europe;
- to obtain recognition of the qualification and profession by Spanish institutes and, if possible, also by the project partners’ countries;
- to prepare the necessary material that can be used in the various training centres (manuals, teaching materials, etc.);
- to test the validity of the proposal through pilot courses organized in the project partners’ countries;
- to promote and disseminate the project through media and social networks.
Strategic goals (stakeholders should receive appropriate training in the following areas):
- Social responsibility of companies in all aspects, with particular attention to integration into the world of work and integration into the community.
- Solidarity, especially regarding the aspects of economic, social and physical accessibility in the tourism sector.
- Sustainability, with particular attention to the involvement of local actors in the management of natural and cultural resources in the various destinations.
- Transversal approach aimed at inclusion in general policies and tourism development.
The goal is to gain the recognition of the profession both in the countries involved in the project, and at European level through the Europass.
The effects resulting from the project can be considered as other currently underway activities within the Phoenicians’ Route, the so-called “Smartways“, the “Phoenicians’ Route Interpretation Centres”, the events included in the annual program “Ancient Mediterranean Days” in particular, and more.
Project’s partners:
- University of Jaén (Spain) – Cultural Itineraries Laboratory
- Adesper (Spain) – Organization for Sustainable Development and Promotion of Rural Employment
- OITS (Belgium) – International Social Tourism Organization
- Development Centre Siksali (Estonia)
- The Phoenicians’ Route – Cultural Route of the Council of Europe
For further information, please see the European Commission website: ec.europa.eu
2010-2016
Inter-regional Tourist Development Project Law 135/01 funded by Sicilian Region
In the setting of the Inter-Regional Tourist Development Project Law 135/01, named “Itineraries in Culture, History, Traditions, Landscapes of the Sea and Mines of the Sea”, the Phoenicians’ Route realized the following activities:
- Identification of thematic itineraries related to the Phoenicians’ Route and aimed at an action of rediscovery of the Sicilian territory and its unexplored tourist potential, thanks to the identification of places of high landscape and evocative level linked to the sea and the salt mines, whose tourist potential is linked to the forms of experiential and slow tourism, now a new frontier for national and international tourist circuits.
- Organization, elaboration of the related texts of communication and cultural and tourist valorisation, of marketing strategies in collaboration with the Tourism Sport and Entertainment Department of the Sicilian Region and the Taormina Book Festival Association, partner of the project.
- Organization of specific workshops and thematic forums for categories of stakeholders, in conjunction with other animation actions planned by other partners.
- Editing of contents for a national press campaign through the most accredited monthly and tourism magazines.
The 5 itineraries identified by the Phoenicians’ Route have been presented and narrated through a prestigious exhibition of literature and music called “Landscapes of the Sea”, which included 5 cultural events with Italian and international guests to present the themes of each itinerary and the links with the territory and the culture of Sicily, to create moments of reflection on current topics and pay homage to emblematic places that have inspired many pages of literature. Among the guests we mention: Tahar Ben Jelloun, Danilo Rea, Santo Piazzese, Gaetano Savatteri, Giovanni Brizzi, Matteo Collura, Vittorio Sgarbi, Dacia Maraini, Luis Sepulveda, Francesco Cafiso, Mariano Rigillo, Alberto Bilà, Francesco Buzzurro and others.
Shown below the program of the events:
June, 16, 2016 – Palermo
Presentation of the Itinerary: Al Idrisi and Ruggero’s Book. Sicily seen from the sea
October, 1, 2016 – Marsala
Presentation of the Itinerary: Phoenicians and Greeks in Sicily: landscapes, atmospheres, cultures.
November,5, 2016 – Syracuse
Itinerary of Places of Memory: Salt Pans, Tuna Fishing Centres, Towers and Sea Mines
November, 6, 2016 – Agrigento
Presentation of the Itinerary of the Taste and the Mediterranean Diet
November, 17, 2016 – Catania
Presentation of the Itinerary: Goethe’s journey to Sicily and the Grand Tour
Itineraries for the enhancement of naturalistic tourism
The project funded by Sicilian Region with the resources referred to Excellence Project “Itineraries for the enhancement of naturalistic tourism” Law 296/2006 art. 1 c. 1228, was born with the aim of promoting the planning and implementation of tourist itineraries, including interregional ones, dedicated to the naturalistic segment. The goal was to place the Sicilian territory on the segment of the tourism market related to the travel motivation “nature” in the specific sense of “nature and active tourism” related to marine element, through targeted actions of specialization and geographical diversification.
Goals:
- to increase the flow of national and international visitors for travel motivations related to “nature” and sea and support the deseasonalization;
- to develop the regional and interregional tourism offer for this target in a specialized product logic, safeguarding and enhancing the heritage of rarity and uniqueness of the environment and the land and underwater landscape;
- to create and expand the network system of the tourism offer specialized on the needs expressed by the segment and the target audience;
- to design and implement targeted tourism proposals that can be effectively spent on the market, such as: underwater itineraries, fishing tourism, sustainable and responsible boat charter.
To this end, a memorandum of understanding was signed between public and private tour operators, which also envisages the continuation of activities at the end of the project.
Project’s partners:
- The Phoenicians’ Route – Cultural Route of the Council of Europe
- GAL – Sicilian islands
- Tourist District “Selinunte, il Belìce, Sciacca Terme”
- GAC “The sun and the blue between Selinunte, Sciacca and Vigata”
- OTIE – Tourism Observatory of European Islands
- CAST (Centre for Advanced Studies in Tourism) – University of Bologna. Rimini Campus
- Consortium Pantelleria Island
- Tour operator: Sicilvision
- Tour operator: Findyouritaly
- Municipalities of Pantelleria, Ustica, Lipari, Malfa
Other participating territories
Municipalities of: Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto, Castelvetrano, Favignana, Furnari, Giuliana, Mazzarrà Sant’Andrea, Montallegro, Pantelleria, Siculiana, Terme Vigliatore, Ustica.
Made products:
- Website www.marenaturasicilia.it in collaboration with CoopCulture
- Multimedia App “Sea, Nature, Sicily” in collaboration with ArcheoFrame Lab – IULM University of Milan (Apple Store)
Project funded by Sicilian Region with the resources referred to Excellence Project “Cult and Culture – Religious tourism itineraries” Law 296/2006 art. 1 c. 1228.
Through the project funded by the Tourism Department of the Sicilian Region, in order to promote and achieve tourist itineraries dedicated to cultural and religious segment in Sicily, the Phoenicians’ Route coordinated a series of proposals disseminated in different Sicilian territories, in order to enhance the assets of historical-religious interest of different cultures and common values.
In collaboration with Itineraria society and “Il Movimento Lento” Association, a cycle path has been mapped and geo-referenced, from Erice Montagna Sacra to Agrigento, following inland itineraries developed according to forms of slow tourism (Download the App)
A web portal dedicated to the project was also created (www.siciliasacra.net) through which you can make a journey through religion and spirituality in Sicily, receive all the necessary information and discover the multiple opportunities linked to these three themes:
- Places of today’s religiousness and spirituality: Sanctuaries and traditions
- Places of religiousness and spirituality of Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations
- The Way of Passion, rites of the Holy Week
More than a hundred hospitality facilities have been identified and selected along the itineraries to provide the necessary services.
Projects’ partners:
- The Phoenicians’ Route – Cultural Route of the Council of Europe
- “Il Movimento Lento” Association
- Municipality of Castelvetrano
- Municipality of Bagheria
- Municipality of Leni
- Touristic District “Selinunte, il Belìce e Sciacca terme”
- Pro loco Sciacca Terme Touristic Association
- Freefly Tour sas
- Ata Hypsas Hotel Tourist Association
- C.s.r.t. Association Marettimo
- Marrone Travel
The project, promoted by El Legado Andalusì Public Foundation, attended by some itineraries including The Phoenicians’ Route, the Via Francigena and the Route of the Olive Tree, was named “European Network for youth and women entrepreneurship development in cultural tourism”, within the Euroempleo Program, financed by the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Employment Service of Andalusia (SAE), and was born with the goal of offering young people and women who had lost a job or who aspired to find an employment the opportunity to take part in training sessions to get an idea of the potential demand for products of this type and how they could be produced.
The primary purpose was to enable the target audience to find new forms of employment in the field of cultural tourism. Training courses have been organized to improve the quality of employment and to combat job insecurity and unemployment. Within the training program, the topic of self-employment and women’s work in the field of cultural and rural tourism was also debated, touching upon crafts, catering, hotel industry, tourist guide services and different types of companies associated with this sector. Moreover, several days of exchange of good practices were organized in companies of the sector. The involved routes made their contribution by presenting some specific case studies and participating with a delegation of cultural and tourist operators from the territories of the respective routes, to the final event where they recounted their experience.
