On October 9th/10th, the Kick-off meeting of the ECO-SEAROUTES Project – co-funded by the Interreg Euro-MED Programme of the European Union – was held in Larnaca (Cyprus).
ECO-SEAROUTES aims to create eco-nautical routes connecting ports committed to implementing a
common sustainability standard, in a transnational approach, and to redistribute tourist flows to neighbouring coastal and inland areas. Through a regenerative and participatory bottom-up approach, the project involves local decision-makers and tourism operators to enhance peripheral areas and their cultural heritage.

1. Creation of eco-nautical Smart Ways covering the entire MED area and connecting marinas that are committed to complying with a common sustainability standard;
2. Creation of local tourist Smart Ways on land that encourage visits to the hinterland of coastal destinations, designed together through participatory methods validated at transnational level and the involvement of stakeholders;
3. Enhancement of the Smart Ways developed through the collaborative creation of Community Heritage Hubs for each territory concerned;
4. Dissemination and capitalisation-oriented activities aimed to ensure the diffusion and replication of the project action.

The partnership consists of 10 partners from 7 countries:
Regione Puglia (Italy) – Lead Partner;
AETIB – Agència d’Estratègia Turística de les Illes Balears (Spain);
Δίκτυο ΔΑΦΝΗ / DAFNI Network of Sustainable Greek Islands (Greece);
Marina of Saint Florent (France) ;
PORT of KOTOR (Montenegro) ;
CMMI – Cyprus Marine and Maritime Institute (Cyprus) ;
The Phoenicians’ Route – Cultural Route of the Council of Europe (Italy);
Regional Union of Municipalities of the Ionian Islands (Greece) ;
Municipality of Chiclana de la Frontera / Ayuntamiento de Chiclana Oficial (Spain) ;
University of Maribor/ Univerza v Mariboru Fakulteta za turizem, Univerza v Mariboru (Slovenia)