The ecoRoute project participated at the 1st international conference of the BCThubs project, titled ‘Widening the Big Blue Horizon’. The event took place from 4 to 6 December, in Volos, Greece, and it was organized under the auspices of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture. The conference aimed at fostering the development of cutting-edge technologies and inclusive strategies towards the protection and accessibility of Underwater Cultural Heritage.
The conference was a hybrid event and had over 430 attendances, both in person and online, from 39 countries around the world. Among the audience were researchers, innovation experts, public and private sector stakeholders and local citizens, who were actively engaged in discussions and shared knowledge gained from different projects and their experience on maritime research, conservation, accessibility, and sustainable management of Underwater Cultural Heritage (UCH).
ecoRoute project was able to reach such a diverse and international audience as it was included in session ‘Enhancing Access to Underwater Cultural Heritage – Key challenges, best practices and technological opportunities for sustainable blue tourism economy development’.
ecoRoute was showcased on Thursday December 5th with a presentation delivered by Jean-Sébastien Guibert from The Association Archéologie Petites Antilles (AAPA) titled “An integrated approach fostering smart underwater cultural and nature tourism. A case study in Martinique”. The presentation emphasized the ecoRoute project’s innovative efforts to enhance sustainable tourism in its regions by: i) Promoting Underwater Cultural and Natural Heritage, ii) Adopting eco-friendly tourism practices, iii) Encouraging community engagement. The case study highlighted Martinique as an example of the project’s pilot interventions, showcasing its potential to serve as a model for other regions aiming to merge cultural preservation with environmental sustainability.
The participation of ecoRoute in the BCThubs international conference reflects its commitment to advancing sustainable tourism and fostering awareness of Underwater Cultural Heritage on a greater scale.
