At the high-level conference of EU Ministers of Tourism, held in March 2014 in Athens, this submerged heritage has moreover been recognized as important for the diversification of coastal and maritime tourism, one of the priorities in current tourism development. 

Still, underwater cultural heritage is endangered and remains insufficiently protected, known and researched. Moreover, responsible adaptive reuse and public access needs facilitation to ensure that the opportunities in underwater cultural heritage are seized.

To increase awareness of the topic and facilitate knowledge exchange among experts, researchers and decision makers, an EU - UNESCO Information Meeting on Underwater Cultural Heritage is organised and will be hosted at the European Parliament on 1 October 2015 (11:00-14:00).

The objectives of the meeting are to provide information about latest trends in the protection, use and understanding of submerged archaeological sites, ranging from newest advances in 3D modelling of sites, new discoveries concerning historic climate change and submerged prehistory to the development of robot archaeologists able to dive in the deep sea.

The meeting agenda

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