A network of Italian Emigration Museums to enhance the heritage of knowledge they hold. This is the major initiative presented as part of the Italea Project, the program to promote root tourism launched by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The numbers of the Italea Project, which aims precisely to attract Italians abroad and Italian-descendants intent on discovering the places and traditions of their origins, were presented. Italea has built a widespread and dynamic network on the ground with 20 regional groups and 16 coordinators.

The www.italea.com website has already been visited by more than 1.1 million people; there are almost 5,000 requests for trips or genealogical research; 368,000 views of the Italea Card website (the card that offers benefits, discounts and concessions for those who come to Italy to discover their origins); and 11,252 program members. Plus: 833 municipalities involved and 742 events already organized. More than 60 outreach events in Italy organized by regional Italees to foster opportunities for collaboration and discussion; 19 missions abroad in 13 countries with an estimated participation of more than 1.5 million people.

Below is the list of Museums that have joined the Network so far:

- Abruzzo - Fondazione Genti d'Abruzzo Onlus, managing body of the Museo delle Genti d'Abruzzo - Pescara

- Basilicata - Museo Emigrazione Lucana - Centro Lucani nel Mondo “Nico Calice” - Lagopesole (PZ)

- Campania - Museum of the Surname - Padula (SA)

- Calabria - La Nave della Sila - Spezzano della Sila (CS)
Museum of the Sea, Agriculture and Migration - Cariati (CS)

- Emilia-Romagna - Parma Emigration Documentation Center Bedonia - Parma

- Liguria - International Museum of Italian Emigration - Genoa
MuSel - Archaeological and City Museum of Sestri Levante - Sestri Levante

- Marche - MEMA - Museo dell'Emigrazione Marchigiana - Recanati

- San Marino - Museo dell'Emigrante - Emigration Research Center

- Molise - Municipal Museum of Migration - Vinchiaturo (CB)

- Piedmont - Silvio Pellico ETS Study Center, Management Committee of the Piedmontese Regional Museum of Emigration - Frossasco (TO)
Museo Regionale dell'emigrazione vigezzina nel mondo - Museo Spazzacamino - Santa Maria Maggiore

- Sardinia - MEA - Museum of Sardinian Emigration - Asuni

- Sicily - Aeolian Museum of Emigration - Salina (ME)
Hyblaean Museum of Emigration - Giarratana (SR)
Valguarnera Caropepe Ethnological Museum - Caropepe (EN)
Petra d'Asgotto Nicosia Ecomuseum (EN)
Museum of Emigration in the Trapani Area of Santa Ninfa - Santa Ninfa (TP)
Museum Time Canicattini Bagni (SR)

- Tuscany - National Diary Archive - Pieve Santo Stefano

- Veneto - MiM Interactive Museum of Migration - Belluno

Coinciding with the Year of Italian Roots in the World, Italea, the program to promote Roots Tourism launched by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation within the PNRR project and funded by NextGenerationEU, was launched, inviting Italian-descendants around the world to come and visit their family's country of origin. Roots Tourism was created with the intent to help people discover culture, rituals and traditions and enhance places that are not mass tourism destinations. The project involves more than 800 small Italian municipalities, winners of the call for cultural activities in favor of Italian-descendants. Italea refers to our country and to “cutting,” a practice by which a plant is allowed to propagate. By cutting off a part of it and replanting it, it can be given new life, growing new roots: just as happens with migration. This program represents an invitation to rediscover the “mother plant.”