The general aim of the project U-Mar was to develop the knowledge and the enhancement of heritage related to underwater archaeology, through the following specific objectives: 1) Training professional figures with specific skills in underwater archaeology, how to valorize it and how to manage these cultural sites. The project trained new experts capable of fostering the touristic offer of these sites from multiple points of view, thanks to an ad hoc innovative training course. 2) Developing sustainable and environmentally friendly tourism around underwater archaeology, improving the tourist-cultural offer and expanding the reference target of users. 3) Provide guidelines for organizations that want to develop strategies for enhancing the underwater archaeological heritage, with different possibilities of application depending on the context and with a particular focus on the creation of underwater archaeological itineraries, with their specific heritage and on the professional’s skills required. 4) Increase knowledge of the underwater archaeological heritage and the importance of its conservation and enhancement, not only by tourists, but above all by young people and local communities living in those territories.
From the need assessment on the enhancement and promotion of underwater archaeological heritage and the creation of sustainable underwater archaeological tourism products, carried out by the LP and PPs prior the project drafting, a number of shortcomings and gaps were observed. While the valorisation of tourism connected to underwater cultural heritage can bring benefits from an economic point of view and its development is closely linked to the preservation of the environment and the seas, the assessment of the current situation in underwater archaeological sites highlighted the low specialization/training of cultural operators and the absence of experts with knowledge on how to create underwater archaeological itineraries. In fact, operators' competences are limited to the interpretation of the heritage and the collaboration with diving centres, but they lack of skills on the management, valorization and capitalization of these sites. All PPs, therefore, shared the need to work on a project to tackle these gaps by developing an innovative training course and new methodologies to create Underwater Archaeological Heritage Interpretation Centres on land, to make this heritage more accessible and closer to a wider audience.