Roadmap for promoting cultural diving tourism
The tool includes a multidisciplinary model and action plan for the operation of accessible Underwater Cultural Heritage (UWCH) sites (i.e. UW Museums/Diving Parks) and Knowledge Awareness Centres (KACs), as a catalyst to support sustainable and responsible tourism development and promote Blue Growth in MED coastal areas and islands. The roadmap also describes how to adopt technologies such as Augmented Diving through innovative underwater tablets and Virtual Diving Systems. The aim is to promote Blue Growth and support an integrated, sustainable and responsible management of cultural tourism ecosystems embedded in Integrated Coastal Zone Management, Maritime Spatial Planning and Integrated Regional Development Policies.
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The BLUEMED roadmap was demonstrated in three pilot areas in Capo Rizzuto (Italy), Western Pagasitikos, Sporades (Greece) and Cavtat (Croatia) by creating new accessible UWCH sites or improving the existing ones. Through the project, new “receiving territories” in Puglia (Italy), Vlora (Albania) and Budva (Montenegro) developed their specific Action Plans to implement the roadmap for the sustainable touristic promotion of their underwater cultural heritage.
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Replicability conditions
In order to implement the Roadmap in new territories, the identification of accessible UWCH sites is required. The sites should have favorable conditions in terms of diving safety conditions and easy reachability for the diving centers. In addition, the responsible authority should authorize, under specific conditions and rules, the access to the sites by qualified diving centers as well as the protection measures and actions to safeguard the site from any potential risk. Moreover, diving centers have to be trained about the official accessibility rules, the historical and cultural significance and the importance of preserving the natural and cultural value of the site. Finally, it is important to provide financial support to the private sector that has to offer high quality touristic services and also to the public bodies that have to implement supportive actions, such as the establishment of Knowledge Awareness Centres.