Three days of working sessions, study visits and dialogue with local communities in the heart of Italy’s “slow” Mediterranean
From 23 to 25 September 2026, the partners of the Interreg Euro-MED project TO CARE MED met in Molise, Italy, for their 4th Partner Meeting. The event was hosted by the Unione dei Comuni del Tifernum and brought together partners from across the Mediterranean, including Italy, Greece, Bulgaria, Slovenia and Croatia.
Three days between work and territory
The meeting opened on 23 September with an official welcome in Petrella Tifernina, followed by a roundtable moderated by Marco Buemi (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice). Each partner presented the progress of its Destination Working Group: how local stakeholders have been engaged, how the Tourism Carrying Capacity (TCCL) results and scenarios have been discussed locally, and which priority actions are emerging. A second session covered project management, monitoring, reporting and the Steering Committee. In the afternoon, partners visited Castellino del Biferno and Lucito, where interviews and video recordings were made with representatives of the Destination Working Group.
On 24 September, the programme moved to Montagano, with a workshop on tourism experience design and action planning. It included presentations on tourism experience guidance and tools, and on the joint strategies and Action Plans of TO CARE MED. A stakeholder meeting followed, focused on ecotourism in Mediterranean rural destinations, its challenges, opportunities and local perspectives. Partners then walked a section of the Jubilee itinerary “Romanic@mente in cammino”, from Montagano to Matrice, and visited Campolieto.
The final day, 25 September, was dedicated to communication and dissemination, with a joint reflection on the lessons learned from the study visits and the ideas that can be transferred into each destination’s Action Plan.
Molise on TGR Molise
The meeting also drew the attention of the Italian public broadcaster RAI. On 24 September, TGR Molise interviewed the project team. Marco Buemi and Barbara Iacampo presented Molise as an ideal “living laboratory” for TO CARE MED: a region not shaped by mass tourism, still discovering itself and appealing to travellers who seek silence and slowness. They also spoke about dialogue with local communities, walking routes as a way to discover the territory at its own pace, and the opportunities linked to digital nomads and depopulated villages.
Voices from the project
Described the meeting as “a great opportunity to exchange experiences, challenges and practical solutions, and to see how carrying capacity can be translated into concrete actions for more sustainable tourism destinations across the Mediterranean.”
“Sustainable tourism is not born only from indicators, tools and strategies.
It is born, first of all, from the ability to know a place, understand its limits and values, and take care of it.”
Thanks to Molise
TO CARE MED warmly thanks the Unione dei Comuni del Tifernum, the municipalities, and all the local communities and stakeholders who welcomed the partners with hospitality, passion and pride in their heritage.
