T.I.D.E. project takes off: open call for fish tourism and ichthyic tourism operators – The initiative, promoted by the Sicilian company In Rete Srl, is financed by the European Union through the SMARTIES FOR SMEs call (Grant Agreement n. 101121576), of which the North-West Tuscany Chamber of Commerce is the lead partner.”
The project aims to position Sicily as a European leader for an authentic, inclusive and resilient tourism, strongly rooted in local traditions but projected towards a sustainable future. At the heart of the project is a multilingual digital platform designed to centralise the tourism offer related to the sea and fishing.
This intuitive and easily accessible platform will allow operators to manage online bookings, tell their stories through digital storytelling, and enhance territories with interactive maps highlighting biodiversity, food and wine traditions, and regenerative experiences. Furthermore, it will be an international marketing hub, integrating blue economy and green economy and promoting the Mediterranean Diet as a global model of sustainability.
T.I.D.E. activities include: Collaborative workshops to create regenerative tourism packages combining fishing, gastronomy and cultural experiences. Training courses on digitisation, tourism marketing, environmental sustainability and innovation. Participation in international events and fairs to attract tourists, strategic partners and investors. Awareness-raising activities on the importance of protecting marine ecosystems, promoting responsible consumption of under-exploited fish species and reducing the environmental impact of tourism activities.
Tourism packages will be designed to attract visitors throughout the year, thus ensuring stable income for fishing families and supporting the resilience of local economies. T.I.D.E. also integrates food and wine tourism as a lever of sustainability. The packages will include sustainable fishing experiences combined with tastings of typical dishes based on local fish species, such as blue fish, combined with Sicilian agri-food excellences (wines, extra virgin olive oil, traditional preserves). The itineraries will connect the sea to the land, taking visitors to historic ports, fish sales and processing points, farms, oil mills and wineries, promoting the short supply chain and the Mediterranean Diet.
The Pesceinrete.com platform, already a leader in the communication of professional fishing in Italy, will be the driving force behind the promotion of the activities, enriched with educational content and tools to tell about the origin of the products, their nutritional value and good sustainable consumption practices. The project has a long-term vision: the initial recruitment foresees at least 15 operators selected according to criteria of family integration, accessibility, safety, multilingual hosting capacity and valorisation of local heritage. However, the platform will be constantly evolving, progressively welcoming new businesses, particularly young people and women, with training and accompaniment paths to entrepreneurship. In Rete Srl, with solid experience in digital communication, territorial marketing, and the valorisation of seafood products, has realised numerous projects over the years in favour of the Region of Sicily and the agri-food sector. Its digital publications, Pesceinrete.com and Bluelifehub.com, will continue to support the project’s international visibility, publishing content dedicated to the promotion of traditions, the protection of marine ecosystems, and the development of responsible maritime tourism. With T.I.D.E., Sicily is a candidate to become a model of regenerative tourism in the Mediterranean, capable of combining tradition and innovation, environmental protection and economic development, local culture and international openness. T.I.D.E. is much more than a project: it is an investment in the future of Sicily’s coastal communities, a laboratory of applied sustainability, a platform for the relaunch of the Mediterranean identity through the valorisation of the sea, fishing, and the people who guard its knowledge.
The project will select at least 15 enterprises that will be involved in training activities, development of regenerative tourism packages, inclusion on the digital platform and national and international promotion.
Operators interested in joining this innovative network are invited to contact us by writing to info@pesceinrete.com to receive all the necessary information and express their interest.
Recruitment will continue after the first selection, with the aim of progressively expanding the network, favouring the growth of new enterprises, with particular attention to young people and women, with a view to the real economic and social regeneration of Sicily’s coastal communities.
T.I.D.E. project takes off: open call for fish tourism and ichthyic tourism operators
