Celia Murcia (westMED Assistance Mechanism Coordinator) will be sharing her insights as one of the panellists at this event

The Blue Tourism Initiative (BTI) partners (IDDRI; eco-union; IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation) together with the Diputació de Barcelona invite the audience to exchange experiences and discuss pathways for a more resilient and regenerative blue tourism in the Mediterranean. This in-person side event is organised within the framework of the III MED Sustainable Tourism Convention, hosted by the Barcelona Provincial Council in collaboration with the Community4Tourism partnership, under the Mediterranean Sustainable Tourism Community.

This in-person side event, entitled “Advancing Sustainable Blue Tourism in the Mediterranean – Towards the MED Blue Tourism Flagship Initiative,” will present the main results and lessons learned from actions implemented in Morocco (Al Hoceima National Park), Tunisia (Djerba Island), and Lebanon (Tyre Coast Nature Reserve, Palm Islands Nature Reserve, and the Anfeh saltpans).

The session will showcase how the initiative has supported improved visitor management in sensitive coastal areas, the creation of local ecotourism governance structures, capacity building for tourism operators, and the integration of biodiversity considerations into hospitality practices. Building on these results, the event will explore the transition from project implementation to long-term impact through the Mediterranean Blue Tourism Flagship Initiative, part of the 2026–2035 Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development (MSSD) under the Barcelona Convention.

Link to the Agenda 

When: 17 June, 2026 | 17:30-19:00
Where: Auditorium Pati Manning, Carrer de Montalegre, 7 Barcelona (only in-person)

More information and registration