Biodiversity and Tourism Strategy to protect cetaceans
BioTourS project aims at introducing best practices in sustainable cross-border tourism, tackling new challenges in environmental and marine safeguard as well as preserving the natural heritage of the Adriatic-Ionian area. The main objective of this project is to involve youngsters in cross-border touristic activities aiming at raising awareness on cetacean conservation. The cross-border approach is needed since BioTourS aims at fostering a transboundary cetaceans’ conservation Programme, able to put in practice a tourism sector and joined conservation strategy and governance, to boost the research and development in this sector and maximize countries'; tourism and economical conservation efforts.
By combining the implementation of high technological tools with standardized survey techniques and the direct involvement of youth in Citizen Science activities (ie. in Pilot actions), BioTourS will improve the baseline knowledge on cetaceans which is currently heterogeneous and defective in the Programme Area. At the same time, the project aims to ensure the dissemination of environmental awareness at different levels, affecting positively on local economies through ECOTOURISM-related activities. As the marine areas addressed by the project belong to the three involved countries, a cross-border approach is essential since only joint coordination can lead to an effective application of actions and strategies. In this way, BioTourS will be able to deliver best practices for eco-tourism management in Adriatic Sea, becoming a benchmark for other countries and becoming exploitable beyond its deadline. The main output foreseen is the creation of a Citizen Science tourism model, for expanding science knowledge on dolphin conservation and tourism management, which will be benefitted by tourism operators and youth workers.