Connecting marinas with inland areas for enhancing the public recreation of rural heritages

The connection of touristic ports/marinas with the inland assets of the surrounding area through thematic itineraries, has as its objective the enhancement of heritage and the boosting of the area's image towards outside. As a whole, it is an informative structure of nodal points that represents places full of information, where tourists can discover new sensations, emotions and recreational activities that the area offers. A tourism offer integrated solution could be the basis for a further development of strategies and policies, focused on the implementation of a diversified tourism outcome. It can also trigger growth processes in a sustainable way, through the development of forms of slow tourism focused on the concepts of sustainability, responsibility and eco-compatibility, in the framework of landscape and heritage protection. This paper proposes an overview of some itineraries, reported in a tourism e-guide, which link the Regional Ports located in the south Adriatic Sea, to the hinterland, characterized by the presence of valuable environmental, natural and cultural resources. These areas have considerable potential to strengthen the territory on European and international markets, to deseasonalize the tourist offer and to create economic and employment opportunities.