This Conference is actively supported by Leonardo Manzari (WestMED Italy), who is giving a presentation on ‘The international and Mediterranean dimension of the sector and the importance of sustainable coastal tourism.’ and Silvio Oliva president of AIDARA, the Italian Desalination Association  (an initiative, initiated by WestMED’s Italian National Hub) on ‘Water management and circular economy: resources for the Marinas‘

On Thursday, 12 June 2025, at 9.30 am, in the splendid setting of Marina di Puntaldia in Sardinia, San Teodoro, a conference titled ‘Blue Marina Awards’ will be held dedicated to marinas and tourist ports that make hospitality, sustainability, and enhancement of the territory their identity.

An event that looks not only at the present but also at the future of the best marinas in the Mediterranean, places that are not limited to being transit points, but which, thanks to their content, establish themselves as true destinations, meeting occasions, and engines of socio-economic development for the territory.

This conference, organised in collaboration with Marina di Puntaldia, will bring together experts, institutions and stakeholders to discuss the elements and values that make the port a meeting point between territory, economy and community.

The event will focus on four fundamental pillars:

1. Sustainability and innovation – solutions to reduce the environmental impact, promote the use of clean energy, promoting a balanced coexistence with the ecosystem of the territory and the Marine Protected Area, as a model of well-being and responsible development.
2. Inclusivity and community – the port as a space of meeting and sharing, where sporting, cultural, food and wine and celebrations transform every experience into an opportunity for relationship, value and well-being between sea, land and community.
3. Art and landscape – the ‘tourists welcome’ expressed through artistic-melling installations, inspired by the sea and made with sustainable recycled materials, which transform the port into a destination capable of combining beauty, identity and hospitality.
4. Sport and tourism– The opportunities offered by the sports sector to a marina and its territory, as a lever of direct and indirect development within an ever-changing sports-marketing system.

The strategic role of marinas

Walter Vassallo Founder and Coordinator of the Blue Marina Awards: “Events such as the one in Puntaldia – and all those that the Blue Marina Awards promote along the Italian coasts together with the National Association of Marinas and Marinas ASSONAT-Confcommercio, which is the institutional partner of the initiative, are essential to create awareness, connection and cohesion around issues that are essential today, present in all political agendas and perfectly aligned with the Sea Plan. The Blue Marina Awards are not only a mark of excellence for ports and tourist ports that stand out for their sustainability, innovation, hospitality, inclusiveness and safety: they are a strategic tool to accompany the evolution of the sector, support operators, enhance the territories and strengthen the Mediterranean identity on the international scene. I hope that all Italian ports and tourist ports will participate in the fourth edition: it is completely free and represents a concrete opportunity to obtain a detailed and qualified check-up of one’s state of health, thanks also to the technical collaboration with RINA.”

Download the full programme (pdf)

When: 12 June 2025
Where: Marina di Puntaldia, Sardinia, Italy

More information: visit the Blue Marina Awards website