Interreg Green and Blue Route project is at the heart of activities: new boost to sustainable tourism in Marine Protected Areas

Funded by the Interreg Italy-France Maritime Program, the Green and Blue Route project is carrying out a promotion and cooperation plan between Marine Protected Areas and companies with the aim of promoting the growth of responsible nautical tourism in the cross-border area that includes Sardinia, Corsica, Tuscany, Liguria and southern France.

The leader is Navigo and the partners are: special company of the CCIAA Riviere di Liguria, Confindustria Centro Nord Sardegna, Chamber of commerce of Nice and Velando S.r.l. (nautical tourism company of the Group Y).

The project activities are also attended by the National Parks of Asinara and Cinque Terre and the AMP of Tavolara Punta Coda Cavallo, as well as numerous groups of international renown: Marina di Porto Cervo, Yacht Management & Consulting, Gruppo Valdettaro.

In the meetings between the partners, several points of reflection emerged: first of all, the substantial convergence between economic fabric and environmental protection bodies for the recognition of the intrinsic value of coastal habitats as a factor on which to develop the growth of marine tourism. Equally important is the recognition by protected areas of the importance of the economic fabric in the healthy and balanced development of territories.

“The project is an opportunity to take a cultural step forward in the way the territory is used for tourism “- said Francesco Della Torre, administrator of Velando s.r.l. (Group Y) – “it is important that operators contribute to the environmental protection and enhancement system”.

In fact, Green and Blue Route is not the only European initiative involving th Group Y – Yachting in Sardinia. The Group Y has started a collaborations with the CNR Institute of Marine Engineering for the monitoring of water quality and the development of citizen science activities, making its fleet and know-how available to raise awareness of the tourist towards the environmental issue: “we must try to make the end-users more aware of the correct use of coastal resources and of policies for the conservation and environmental enhancement of marine habitats by making tourists an active part of the protection system”.

According to Della Torre to overcome the current economic crisis “It is necessary to be quick in offering to the market solutions that move tourists from the mainland to the sea, opening the destination to a new truly green and blue use that preserves our coasts and creates economic benefits for the area”.

Precisely for this reason, the Green and Blue Route project provides for the provision of vouchers for young companies for the dissemination of tourism services for the development of sustainable nautical tourism, in order to support startups in being prompt in seizing new market opportunities.