On Wednesday 30 March, at the Hotel Admeto in Selinunte (Sicily), the I Transnational Meeting of the “U-Mar – Enhancing underwater archeology to make it an innovative tool for developing sustainable & creative tourism” project was held.
The project, led by the Phoenicians’ Route – Cultural Route of the Council of Europe, is funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.
The general aim of the project U-Mar is to develop the knowledge and the enhancement of heritage related to underwater archaeology, through the following specific objectives:
1) Training professional figures with specific skills in underwater archaeology, how to valorize it and how to manage these cultural sites;
2) Developing sustainable and environmentally friendly tourism around underwater archaeology, improving the tourist-cultural offer and expanding the reference target of users;
3) 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.
4) 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 last for 24 months, until 9 January 2024, and can count on the involvement of partners of great value.
In addition to the Phoenicians’ Route, lead partner of the project:
– Superintendence of the Sea – Sicilian Region (Italy)
– International Centre for Underwater Archaeology in Zadar (Croatia)
– CEI·MAR Foundation (Spain)
– Pafos Regional Board of Tourism (Cyprus)
– ACIF – Industrial and Commercial Association of Funchal – Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Madeira (Portugal)
– Argo – Progettare l’Europa (Italy)
There are also many associated partners such as the Municipalities of Menfi and Gela in Italy, Mazarrón in Spain, Pafos in Cyprus, Grad Zadar in Croatia and Funchal in Portugal.
The experts had the opportunity to visit the Archaeological Park of Selinunte and the exhibition on the wreck of Porto Palo in Menfi, discovered by Sebastiano Tusa and set up by the Superintendency of the Sea of the Sicilian Region. The exhibition is located inside the Interpretation Center of the Phoenicians’ Route, along the Ancient Via Selinuntina (Smart Way of the Cultural Route), created in collaboration with the Municipality of Menfi, a member of the Route.
