Greece’s Thessaly Region to Tap Into Marine Tourism

Photo source: Region of Thessaly.

The Thessaly Region recently announced that it is taking actions to launch a “Blue Culture Hub” (BCH) network with the participation of 14 research and educational institutes, governmental organizations and other associations in Greece and abroad.

The project, to be launched this month, is set to bring together underwater archaeological parks and museums under the BCH umbrella initially in Thessaly, Malta and Bulgaria.

Peristera. Photo source: @Municipality of Alonissos.

Blue culture hubs are aimed at supporting with innovative solutions and products the sustainable protection, restoration, utilization, management, accessibility and promotion of Europe’s underwater cultural heritage.

A key priority of the hubs program is to encourage and support research and innovation in blue culture technologies through the development of a permanent technological and business framework for the first time in the world.

In Greece, the Peristera wreck, off the coast of Alonissos, and six other ancient and newer shipwrecks, at four locations in the Sporades islands and the Western Pagasitikos will be the base for experts who will be involved in the project for the next four years.

Alonissos. Photo Source: Ministry of Culture.

Budgeted at 5 million euros, the project is being funded by the EU’s Horizon Europe 2021-2027 program. The Thessaly Region Development Fund will be coordinating the project.

Participating in Tuesday’s project launch will be representatives from the University of Thessaly, the Institute of Marine Archaeological Research, the National Center for Research and Technological Development, consulting agencies, diving centers, the Divers Alert Network Europe (Malta), the Institute of Tourism Studies (Malta), the Center for Underwater Archeology (Bulgaria), the Institute of Information and Communication Technologies (Bulgaria), as well as European Commission officials.