Participation in the Presentation of the EU Programme for Alternative Tourism

SUSTAINABLE CITY participated in the conference for the presentation of the UCRCA, BLUEMED and DIVE IN HISTORY projects, funded by European funds. These projects promote the idea of alternative and sustainable tourism by focusing on promoting, planning and operating diving parks either in places of archaeological and historical interest or in places of environmental interest. These projects are carried out in cooperation between Greek and Italian institutions, with the participation of the Italian Ministry of Culture and the University of Calabria.

The projects will result in the design and promotion of a tourist product focused on diving in ancient archaeological or natural parks in Greece and Italy, the stamping and elevation of the submerged antiquities and the ocean floor, the recording and exposure of the historical value of the areas, the scheduled operation of these sites and the cooperation with similar actions of other diving parks in Italy.

The conference was held in Bologna on the 2nd and 3rd of March 2018, as part of a report on organising and supporting alternative tourism and diving equipment. SUSTAINABLE CITY promoted its Municipalities - members and created a base for networking and contact-making for the benefit of specific actions as well as for participation in future related programmes.

The Mayor of Pylos – Nestor and President of SUSTAINABLE CITY Network, Mr. Dimitris Kafantaris, and the General Manager, Mr. Ioannis Georgizas, attended the event. During the event, the President, Mr. Dimitris Kafantaris, highlighted the importance of alternative tourism and in particular the diving tourism of Chora because of its sites exceptional natural beauty that combine historical, archaeological and environmental interest.

The President also pointed out the efforts to promote the marine archaeological diving parks in Greece and Cyprus, referring to the members of SUSTAINABLE CITY, and emphasized the need for cooperation between organisations in order to boost the development of sustainable tourism in Greece.