The INSPIRE project was presented in Taormina during the event Storie di Terra, engaging a wide audience of local administrators from across the province of Messina.
The initiative provided an opportunity to present the project’s objectives, methodology and expected results, highlighting its role within the Interreg Euro-MED 2021–2027 Programme. INSPIRE — Integrating Biodiversity Preservation and Agrobiodiversity Valorisation in Tourism Management in the MED Area — is led by the Municipality of Messina.
The presentation was delivered by Project Manager Dr. Beatrice Briguglio and Dr. Rita Melita, Technical Officer of the Municipality of Messina.
The discussion focused on the project’s two main thematic areas: the preservation of agrobiodiversity as a key element of Mediterranean heritage, and the development of tourism models capable of enhancing this resource as a driver of sustainable local development.
Participants were introduced to the project’s approach to mapping traditional food products, local varieties and knowledge systems across the five partner countries — Italy, France, Greece, Spain and Albania — and to the opportunities this work creates for tourism rooted in local identity and culture.
The presence of institutional representatives from municipalities along both the Ionian and Tyrrhenian coasts fostered a constructive exchange on the potential of integrating biodiversity protection with tourism development, with particular attention to the Messina area.
The event took place at the Municipal Palace of Taormina, which hosted the meeting within its institutional premises, providing a setting aligned with the themes of cultural and natural heritage and sustainable tourism in the Mediterranean.
