The ITALEA project was created at the initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with resources made available by the Ministry of Culture from PNRR funds, and is aimed at promoting root tourism in Italy, in correspondence with the National Year of Roots set for 2024. Roots tourism refers to the movement of Italian oriundi, mainly second- or third-generation emigrants, who “return” to their family’s places of origin to rediscover their family’s characteristics, rituals, flavors, landscapes and also, when possible, to reconstruct their family trees and find relatives. In the Spring of 2023, a group of people passionate and experienced in tourism and local development applied with a project called Cumbidu to the PNRR call for proposals promoted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The project was judged successful and the informal group was formed as a Third Sector Entity under the name Cumbidu. The project was characterized by the presence of a very large partnership network that I included hundreds of public and private entities, including Unions of Municipalities, Municipalities, LAGs, University Departments, business networks, tour operators and tourism and culture operators, tour guides and associations, throughout the region.
In the second half of 2023, all the winning organizations were involved in a comprehensive training course and all platforms were activated for the development of the project, which has since taken the name ITALEA, from the idea of emigrants as cuttings of the plant of origin.
ITALEA has now come to full operation and the time has come for its public presentation.
The event at on Sunday, 28 is an opportunity to introduce the project to the general public and to involve many other operators in expanding the supply network.
The event is hosted in the facilities of Cagliari’s Lazzaretto and will open with a conference on the topics of root tourism.
Numerous representatives of institutions and many public and private partners will participate.
Among them we highlight the presence of the “advisor of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Giovanni De Vita, national project manager; the director general of the regional labor department Eugenio Annichiarico; the regional tourism department, through Dr. Marzia Cilloccu; numerous mayors, presidents of Unions of Municipalities and LAGs.
Imago Mundi will be present at the event as a partner in the project, and it will be an opportunity to raise awareness of Monumenti Aperti.
