The TRAMES project – smart Tourism Across the Mediterranean Sea – was presented on May 7 in the beautiful setting of the Certosa di Calci (Pisa). Co-financed by the European Union within the COSME Programme, the initiative involves eight partners representing six European nations for the creation of an innovative tourist offer in five pilot areas in the Mediterranean basin.

TRAMES is based on the Phoenicians’ Route – a route included since 2003 in the Council of Europe’s ‘Cultural Routes’ Programme and recognised by the World Tourism Organisation since 2016 – which promotes cultural dialogue through the cultural and ar­chaeological heritage of Mediterranean civilisations following the ancient nautical and maritime routes.

The project aims to promote collaboration between tourism operators

Officially launched this year, on March 26, the project will end on March 25, 2021 and provides for the creation of eight Smart Ways (i.e. routes based on innovative and current topics including sustainability, creative tourism, active involvement of local populations and entrepreneurs) and as many heritage interpretation centres where local communities will be at the centre of the tourism offer; the organisation of an Intercultural Dialogue Festival circuit with seven events in five coun­tries; the development of a video game based on the trade routes of the ancient Mediterranean as a tool to promote the territories involved and their assets.

Among the goals of the initiative, as illustrated in the project presentation conference, there are the revitalisation of the EU destinations and the deseasonalisation and implementation of the sustainability of tourism offers. At the same time, the project aims to promote collaboration between tourism operators and cultural industries of the participating coun­tries, and not least to the creation of solid public-private partnerships in the areas involved, promoting exchanges of expe­rience and expertise at an international level.