HERITAS project

HERITAS Project

HERITAS – Enhancing Cultural Heritage through Participatory Citizen Pathways and the Creation of Community-Based Tourism Routes

HERITAS will contribute to strengthening the role of culture and sustainable tourism in economic development, inclusion, and social innovation for youth, women, and all stakeholders in the cities of Balestrate (Italy), Nabeul (Tunisia), and their surrounding rural areas, through the valorization and transmission of cultural heritage.

By adopting an innovative approach to promote active community participation, HERITAS aims to go beyond existing practices by directly involving local populations and fostering social innovation in cultural heritage and tourism management.

Context

Sicily and Tunisia face multiple challenges in the tourism sector, threatening their rich tangible and intangible cultural heritage, which is present throughout their territories—not only in major tourist destinations attracting local and international visitors. This mass-tourism-oriented model generates concentrated benefits with limited economic and social spillover for local populations and surrounding regions.

HERITAS supports community-driven economic development, the preservation of natural and social environments, and the strengthening of the role of culture and sustainable tourism in progress, inclusion, and social innovation. Promoting sustainable tourism practices, encouraging community participation, and fostering dialogue are essential to developing alternative models for managing cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible.

Objectives

Promote the enhancement of tangible and intangible cultural heritage with local communities for the development of sustainable tourism that respects cultural heritage, local communities, and the environment.
Strengthen community empowerment through the reappropriation and promotion of cultural heritage.
Develop the capacities of local stakeholders through training in sustainable community-based tourism.
Foster intercultural exchanges between Sicily and Tunisia through tourism routes that support Mediterranean synergies in heritage valorization.

Main Activities

Development of strategic guidelines for the enhancement of local cultural heritage and the promotion of community-based tourism.
Creation of an interactive flipbook presenting the training program, community tourism routes, and testimonials.
Design of two tourism itineraries aimed at promoting cultural heritage, accompanied by a dedicated brochure.
Conducting a study on the transferability of best practices in cultural and community-based tourism.
Development of strategies and action plans for sustainable and community-based tourism.

Impact

180 individuals acquire or strengthen skills in sustainable and community-based tourism.
Participating communities implement co-designed strategies to enhance their tangible and intangible cultural heritage.
Institutions at local, national, and Mediterranean levels benefit from guidelines for community-based tourism management in Italy and Tunisia.

Project Partners

CESIE ETS (Italy), Lead Partner
Le Vie dei Tesori (Italy)
CAWTAR (Tunisia)
ANIMED (Tunisia)

Within this project, Animed coordinates WP2 – “Enhancing Cultural Heritage through Training Actions for Youth and Women”, which aims to strengthen the capacities of local communities in community-based tourism and heritage valorization through joint training sessions in Tunisia and Sicily. Thirty beneficiaries—primarily youth and women active or interested in the tourism sector—will acquire practical skills to develop sustainable tourism initiatives. At the end of the training program, participants may apply to a competition through which six selected winners will receive free technical support to implement their projects.