After 3 years of intensive work between the 10 partners representing 9 Mediterranean mountains from 5 countries  (Albania, France, Greece, Italy, Spain), time came to  promote  and  disseminate  the  results among others mountains areas, local authorities involved in sustainable tourism issues, others networks of mountains or linked to Mediterranean areas. That’s why EMbleMatiC partners organised this international conference, in Anogia, Crete, Greece on 1st and 2nd of October 2019.

Who participated?

All   the   stakeholders participating   in  the   definition   and   the   implementation   of   sustainable   tourism policies/projects including:

• local  authorities (technical  staff) involved  in sustainable  tourism  projects  or  strategies  local  or  regional levels

• elected representatives/decision-makers from local authorities

• managers from tourism NGO/organisations: tourism office…

• national or European network of mountains, of Mediterranean areas….

• sustainable tourism experts

• European representatives: European commission, Member of the European Parliament

You can find the conference report, the final agenda and the link to register below.

Join the Emblematic Mediterranean Mountain (EMM) Network on the 10th of October 2019 for the event “Developing alternative sustainable tourism in Mediterranean hinterland areas“.

The event, organised as a side event of the European Week of Cities and Regions, has the objective to present the concrete results and tools from our project to support participants in the development of a new form of sustainable tourism offer:

9 territories from 5 countries have created 9 eco-itineraries
Located in the coastal HINTERLAND area
Based on their shared IDENTARIANS SINGULARITIES
involving LOCAL ACTORS and inhabitants
Doing so they managed to extend the seasonality and access, to rebalance tourism flows and to reduce environmental impact whilst prioritising local resources.

Join us to enjoy this opportunity to share and exchange around the knowledge created by the new community of hinterland mountainous Mediterranean areas, as well as to learn from the lessons/experiences linked to the concrete implementation of our project.

The event is open to EU institutions, policy-makers, local and regional authorities, sustainable tourism experts at European, national, regional and local level.

It will take place on the 10th of October from 16.30 to 18.00.

Venue:

Region of Crete: Delegation in Bruxelles

Rond Point Schuman 14, 1040 Brussels, 8th floor

our last meeting…

The steering and technical meetings and the thematic workshop were organized by the Local Development Agency Pieriki Anaptixiaki S.A.-O.L.A., in Litochoro-Pieria, in mythical Mountain Olympus, Greece.
The topics presented and the field visits of the thematic workshop were evaluated, selected and agreed with the working group of Pieriki Anaptixiaki, the associated partners Regional Unit of Pieria and Management Agency of Olympus National Park, local stakeholders and elected representatives of the administrative units that are hosted within the wider territory of Olympus.

The new dimension of this meeting was that every day a field trip to a different perspective of the emblematic dimension of olympus was offered to participants.
In more detail:
28th of May: Visit to the Nautical Museum of Litochoro, Walking via the abandoned rail tunnel (galaria-below the ancient castle of Platamonas) and rail line
29th of May: Visit of the traditional village of Old Panteleimonas
30th of May (full day):
– Management Agency natural history museum.
– Monastery of Saint Dionysios (of Olympus): visit in the museum/collection (destroyed during WWII, refurbished by Leader programme), information about the monks’ cheese production, visit in the monastery local products shop
– Old Monastery of Saint Dionysios. Walking in the forest to the “Spilaio” (60 minutes) and back
– Prionia – ascents to Olympus most important starting point.
– Dion – Visit of the archaeological museum and of the archaeological park (including the ancient theatre).
– Gritsa  coastline for knowing the Olympus Riviera, were swimming and staring the Olympus peaks is possible.
– Rachi village – Visit at a local winery.

Steering and Tecnhical Committees (28/05, morning) have covered: Financial monitoring, Anticipating the end of the project, Remaining communication activities.

Thematic workshop meeting (28/05 afternoon-29/09) covered: Tourism guides, External events, External events, Press Kits and Press trips, Pilot action: creation of an Eco-itinerary, Participation in tourism fairs, Strategy for the development of Olympus, Experimentation report, International conference, HP contribution, videos.

The steering and technical meetings and the thematic workshop were organized by the Local Action Group Gal Terre dell’Etna e dell’Alcantara, in Castiglione di Sicilia, in Mountain Etna, Italy.
The topics presented and the field visits of the Thematic workshop  were evaluated, selected and agreed with the working group of Gal Terre dell’Etna e dell’Alcantara, local stakeholders and elected representatives of the administrative units that are hosted within the wider territory of Etna.

Steering Committee (29/01) has covered: General overview of the project’ state of progress, Focus on remaining communication activities, Creation of an ecojourney.
Thematic workshop meeting (29-30/01)  covered: Pilote activities: correlation between the final layout of the ecojourney and the equipment plan, Focus on Videos, Focus on Tourism guide and on Press kits and trips, International conference in Creta, Focus on WP5: transferring. In the end of 30th of January
local actors has presented: Let’s discover the Etna’s tourism strategy and exchange with local stakeholders and inviting territory from Piémont

On Thursday January the 31st, partners spent the whole day in the field visits related mainly to 6 criteria of the EMbleMatiC dimension:
– Picturesque landscape and historical places: Hiking tour to Alcantara river
– Sustainability and anthropogenic environment: Visit of Giusa “0 kilometri” farm and oil tasting
– Power of inspiration, historic places: Hiking along the river to reach a Byzantine church “La Cuba”
– Proud local people: Historic train “Littorina” until a 0kilometri restaurant: cheese and wine tasting and lunch in a former church
– Historical places: Visit of municipality of “Randazzo” famous for its lava stone church / Visit to a producer of nutss
– Particular eco-system: Visit to a typical vineyard and winery

Finally, Technical Committee (01/02) has covered: Feedback on field visits, Fourth period payment claim, Focus on the budget, Anticipation of the project’s closure, Next transnational meeting in Olympus

On 1st of February afternoon meeting with tour operators in Taormina took place.

The steering and technical meetings and the thematic workshop were organized by Municipality of Himara. The topics and the field visits of the Thematic workshop presented were evaluated, selected and agreed with the working group of Himara Municipality, the external experts of RCDC, local stakeholders and elected representatives of the administrative units that are hosted within the wider territory of Himara.

An introduction to the project and frequent exchange of ideas on boosting tourism by integrating Cika’s assets into the tourism product were the topics of individual meetings held with these stakeholders for almost two years.

The local part of the workshop was divided in three days:

• September 19th PM: Presentation of Himara Tourism Development Strategy.

• Thursday, September 20th: Field Visit.

• Friday, September 21st 9h00: Feedback session from Partners.

On Thursday, September the 20th partners spent the whole day in the field visits related mainly to 6 criteria of the EMbleMatiC dimension:

C.7 Particular ecosystem

C.8 Mediterranean cultural identity

C.6 Picturesque landscape

C10 Historic places

C.1 Population

C.5 Power of Inspiration

Partners attended an interim meeting in Barcelona. We discussed the following topics:

– panorama of the project sheets

– Destimed experience

– Feedback from Roma meetings(Sustainable Tourism Community, MED programme)

– Validation of Terms of reference by all partners

– Marketing brief presentation

– Milestones and timetable before next transnational meeting in Albania

– Communication actions: Factsheets, charter, future actions,…

– Coordination actions: Payment plan calendar

The intense work in Technical and Steering Committee, followed by the 4th TWS from the 20th until 22th March 2018:

• 1st work session (20th March, afternoon) – Preparation of the marketing brief: Reminder of WP4 challenges. Group working session on partner’s eco-itineraries and target public including final discussion.

• 2nd work session (21th March) – Requirements for eco-itineraries:

– Benchmarking focus on good practices: exchange of good practices with MEET project (ENI), DESTIMED project (Interreg MED) and Cinquè Llac project (local experience on sustainable tourism).

– Co-working session among partners on eco-itinerary.

– Discussion on methodological focus, budget, time schedule and roadmap for the implementation of eco-itineraries.

– Presentations of Berguedà’s territory by local entities: general touristic strategy of Berguedà; local policy and local actions of Saldes municipality related to the quality night sky; picturesque landscape values linked to the quality night sky.

• 3rd work session (22th March) – Discovering Pedraforca area through field visits. Partners shared experiences on topics:

– “Particular ecosystem” and “proud local people” visiting Trementinaires Museum and attending a workshop of aromatic Herbs in Centre de flora del Parc Natural del Cadí Moixeró.

– “Heritage and historic places” paying a visit of Gósol village and Castle, Fumanya Paleontological center and Museum of Cercs’ Mines.

– “Particular ecosystem” visiting centre of Cadí Moixeró Natural Park.

– and “Mediterranean and Cultural identity” attending the presentation of Fia Faia festivity by pupils of Sant Julia de Cerdanyola primary school and by members of Fia Faia Association.

Following Steering and Techical Committee on administrative subjects of the project, the partners celebrated the 3rd TWS from the 13th until 14th December 2017:

• 1st work session (13th December, morning) – Brief introduction on Serra de Tramuntana area. Partners shared experiences on 2 topics: “heritage as local development tool in mountain areas” and “mountains as source of inspiration”, including 2 field visits (Camí des Correu and Finca Pública Galatzó).

• 2nd work session (13th December, afternoon) – Local stakeholders shared experiences with EMbleMatiC partners on the strategy of Serra de Tramuntana territory. Working with the contractor ETAM on the draft version of the final study.

• 3rd work session (14th December, morning) – Partners shared more experiences on topics “heritage as local development tool in mountain areas” and “mountains as source of inspiration”, including 2 field visits (Cooperativa Agrícola Sant Bartomeu de Sóller and Barranc de Biniaraix).

• 4th work session (14th December, afternoon) – Exchanges on the field visits. Working with the contractor ETAM on the eco-itineraries perspective, on the phase 3 of Terms of Reference and on the future brief marketing.