Paphos regional tourism board (Etap) representatives are visiting the city of Faenza, Italy, under the framework of the Interreg Euro MED European programme, titled ‘MED-Routes’, for the opening meeting of the project’s partners.

The announcement noted that the board’s visit started on February 6 and will conclude on February 8.

The project aims to strengthen the Mediterranean’s sustainable cultural tourism by creating ecological routes, based on the European Cultural Routes, which refers to a certification awarded by the Council of Europe to networks promoting the European shared culture, history and memory.

Additionally, according to an announcement, the general objective of the MED-Routes project is to create and promote a Mediterranean model of sustainable tourism in four cultural routes in the Mediterranean region.

It also aims to create a specific model of Mediterranean “slow tourism” that has its roots in the common heritage of four Mediterranean cultural routes.

Meanwhile, the four cultural routes include a Ceramics Cultural Route, a Phoenician Cultural Route, a route titled Olive Streets, as well as the European Federation of Napoleonic Cities.

Moreover, the project involves 8 European partners from Italy, Spain, Portugal, Croatia, Greece, Bulgaria, Bosnia, and Cyprus.

Additionally, it should be noted that the project is 85 per cent funded by the European Union. The duration of the programme is 27 months, and the project budget amounts to €1 million.

The announcement concluded by saying that the fund allocated to Etap Paphos amounts to €130,000.