The project OnSea responds to a key challenge of the Interreg Greece-Italy region: the need for a sustainable, diversified and inclusive tourism model that reduces over-reliance on coastal hotspots, protects fragile ecosystems and highlights the full range of cultural and natural heritage. Greece and Italy are joining forces to reposition the Adriatic-Ionian area as a single, accessible cross-border destination.
Under the banner «One Sea, Many Paths», OnSea introduces a multidisciplinary tourism identity that integrates cultural routes, marine experiences, wellness and spa tourism, geotourism and inclusive routes. The project provides 41 pilot actions, implemented jointly by 7 partners, enhancing 11 cultural and tourist sites and benefiting over 210,000 visitors.
The pilot actions include the restoration of cultural heritage buildings, such as the Anagnostopouleios School in Konitsa and the Castromendiano Museum in Lecce, the creation of ecological hiking bridges in Zagori and Acheloos, and the upgrading of spa facilities in Epirus to promote wellness tourism. The natural and cultural heritage is being enhanced through the Information Centre of the UNESCO Geopark Viko-Aoos Geopark, the Matera geological route and a network of cultural hiking trails in Calabria. Accessibility and soft mobility are improved in Lake Trichonida through inclusive routes and visitor hubs, while marine tourism is promoted through the Regata linking Corfu and Brindisi.
All interventions are supported by strategic planning, joint outreach, digital tools (single platform and AI pathways), training programmes, peer learning and stakeholder engagement, integrating results into regional strategies and institutional practices. The project also enhances visibility through joint participation in an international tourism exhibition, presenting its single identity at European level. The cross-border dimension is essential to create a coherent tourism identity with a long-term impact.
