“Pescatourism” documents local fishing traditions of islands and coastal regions across the seas of Greece, to the aim of promoting local trade and culinary cultures as an attractive added element for experiential tourism.
Aesthetically pleasing informative videos and articles have been created and shared through the online platform of “Pescatourism”. Users can search for different localities, their specific features, fish that are caught there and recipes to cook them.
The promotion of fishing tourism also calls for local fishers, boat owners and relevant stake holders to be informed and built their capacity relevant to this new type of tourism. A relevant network is created for exchange of experiences and joint training. It aims to promote and develop tourism in Rhodes through digital promotion, development of alternative forms of tourism, cooperation with local agencies.
“Pescatourism” started in June 2021 and concluded in December 2023, with the collaboration of organisations from 18 places around Greece. Activities included field research on knowledge and stances of fishers towards fishing tourism, soft skills training for 50 professionals, based in Kefalonia as a local case, experiential learning visit to Italy, promotional videos from participating localities, an online platform and a dissemination conference.
PROTOUR, founded in 1989, supports the promotion and development of tourism in Rhodes. As responsible for the project management of “Pescatourism”, PROTOUR furthers its mission, while having an expanded positive domestic impact on the tourism industry.
The adaptation of an activity from the 1st to the 3rd sector is a transition that needs the professionals to acquire soft skills and adapt their infrastructure and practices to accommodate tourist needs. This was addressed through the training of fishers participating.
Authenticity provides significant added value to a touristic product; its integrity, however, is threatened by the same conditions of its success. A fine balance should be kept between introducing visitors to fishing cultures, and a viable scale for local customs and practices to remain true to their local character.
The approach showcased and activities undertaken during “Pescatourism” can be directly replicated with the inclusion of new locations or products of choice (e.g. Honey oy fungi). With appropriate adaptation, the overall design can be followed as a model for transferring activities from the 1st to the 3rd sector.
By documenting its approach and best practices, Protour can serve as a valuable stakeholder for other destinations seeking to implement sustainable tourism models.
