Within the vibrant framework of Interreg Euro-MED’s Sustainable Tourism mission, the INSPIRE project proposes a transformative vision—one rooted in agrobiodiversity, cultural identity, and community resilience. While many projects address sustainability through innovation, governance, or niche tourism trends, INSPIRE stands out for developing inclusive, participatory, and replicable tourism models that foster long-term environmental and cultural regeneration.
Rethinking Tourism in Fragile Mediterranean Landscapes
The Mediterranean is both rich in natural heritage and under threat from mass tourism, land exploitation, and biodiversity loss. INSPIRE begins with this challenge: how can rural and peri-urban destinations protect their environmental and cultural capital while benefiting from tourism?
The project responds by promoting a community-based model rooted in existing methodologies—such as the Slow Food Travel framework —that reconnects tourism with the territory’s ecological and cultural fabric. This model empowers local stakeholders, strengthens the preservation of Mediterranean agrobiodiversity, and opens pathways for sustainable economic development.
Complementing the Sustainable Tourism Mission: Where INSPIRE Fits
The 20 thematic projects under Interreg Euro-MED’s Sustainable Tourism umbrella reflect a spectrum of strategies. Grouped thematically, they help illustrate how INSPIRE both complements and differentiates itself from parallel initiatives.
- Climate Resilience and Heritage Protection
Projects like COOL NOONS, HERIT-ADAPT, and NaTour4CChange focus on adapting heritage and urban environments to climate pressures—through shaded paths, data-driven risk management, and nature-based planning. While these initiatives target resilience in built or coastal environments, INSPIRE extends this logic to agricultural and food-producing landscapes, integrating climate consciousness with the revival of ecologically valuable rural areas.
- Smart Governance and Digital Transformation
Digitalization drives innovation in LIBECCIO, SMITOUR, and TOURISMO, where smart tools and data ecosystems improve tourist flows and resource use. INSPIRE similarly integrates digital tools—such as e-labs and crowdmapping platforms—but with a community-first approach. These tools support citizen engagement and help map and promote cultural and ecological assets in collaboration with local actors.
- Cultural and Agricultural Heritage
Several projects address the link between tradition, food, and territory. MedDiet Go, MED-GIAHS, and MED-ROUTES promote the Mediterranean diet, heritage agricultural systems, and low-impact cultural itineraries. INSPIRE shares these objectives but distinguishes itself by co-developing a model of participatory destination management, in which cultural and environmental regeneration are built into the very structure of how tourism is conceived and governed.
- Niche and Thematic Tourism Models
Projects like AQUAMAN, ECO-SEAROUTES, DARKSKYTOUR, PORTCREW, and TO CARE MED offer creative and specialized approaches to marine conservation, stargazing tourism, port-city dynamics, and social inclusion. INSPIRE differs by not focusing on a niche, but by restructuring the relationship between place, people, and tourism—especially in areas where over-tourism or abandonment threaten the balance of ecosystems and communities.
- Circularity, Regeneration, and Inclusive Models
Finally, GREENSET, MED4REGEN, RECICLE MED, and REGENERA4MED focus on circular economy practices and territorial revitalization. INSPIRE fits naturally into this space, though it regenerates territories through cultural continuity, biodiversity stewardship, and intergenerational knowledge —not only through infrastructure or waste reduction.
INSPIRE’S DISTINCTIVE APPROACH: LOCAL ANCHORING, GLOBAL RELEVANCE
While many projects offer excellent technological tools, urban strategies, or theme-based journeys, INSPIRE stands out in four strategic ways:
- Environmental Regeneration Through Agrobiodiversity
It places the protection and valorization of agrobiodiversity at the center of tourism development. - Cultural Empowerment and Identity Rebuilding
It addresses the erosion of local identity and the risks of gentrification by fostering pride and active participation among residents. - Community-led Destination Co-management
Through Living Labs and inclusive processes, it supports co-creation of sustainable tourism offers grounded in local knowledge and ecological integrity. - Scalable, Transnational Learning
INSPIRE provides tools and strategies that are adaptable and replicable across different Mediterranean territories, encouraging transnational dialogue and innovation.
A MEDITERRANEAN MODEL FOR THE FUTURE
In an increasingly fragmented tourism sector, INSPIRE offers a unifying vision: that biodiversity, identity, and community engagement are not side notes, but the foundation of resilient and sustainable destinations. It proposes a new model—not just for tourism, but for territorial governance, where environmental protection and cultural continuity go hand in hand.
