(ANSA) - PALERMO, JUNE 29 - Sicily focused on its origins at the Expo Milano 2015 workshop ''Tourism of Roots'' on Sunday. The workshop concentrated on growth seen as an opportunity for territorial development through valorizing rural characteristics of the island. ''The Most Beautiful Villages of Italy'' and ''Rural Villages'' are meant as ways to get to know a place through the eyes of someone from the area and to discover its most hidden and unusual sides.

In Sicily, this model has long been taking shape and is highly suited to a region where - in addition to its large cities and world-famous monuments - hides a plethora of little-known ancient villages, buildings and archaeological sites. The island is focusing ever more on relational tourism: historic homes, residential tourism and religious and nature-based itineraries are its most interesting and attractive forms. The activities for the workshop were coordinated and managed by the tourism and agriculture councillors' offices.(ANSA).