WestMED's Technical Group on Sustainable Tourism participates in the Interreg Tourism Conference 'Paths that Last'

200 participants | 8 Programme Organisers | approx 90 Projects | 5 workshops

On 25–26 June 2025, the WestMED’s Technical Group on Sustainable Tourism through the National Hub for Malta (Stephanie Vella), participated in an event held in Split, Croatia, under the Mediterranean Multi-Programme Mechanism titled “Paths That Last – Collaborating for a Sustainable Tourism in the Mediterranean”.

Eight Interreg Programmes working together in the Mediterranean
Next to a wide range of stakeholders. this gathering brought together eight Interreg programmes working across the region including Interreg Euro-MED, Interreg Greece–Cyprus, Interreg Italy–Croatia, Interreg Italy–Slovenia, Interreg Italy–France Maritime, Interreg Italy–Malta, Interreg NEXT Italie–Tunisie, and Interreg NEXT MED.

The goal of the Mediterranean Multi Programme Mechanism is to enhance synergy, coordination, and capitalisation among projects to address common challenges such as sustainable tourism, climate change, and socio-economic development in Mediterranean territories.

The event aimed to foster cross-programme coordination, share good practices, and promote the development of joint project ideas to advance sustainable tourism across the Mediterranean. It created an opportunity for stakeholders to align efforts around shared goals while responding to regional challenges.

Five workshops
Central to the conference were 5 different interactive workshops addressing critical themes for sustainable tourism: Shared and Strategic Governance of the Tourism Offer, Tourism and Green Transition, Inclusive and Accessible Tourism and Innovative Tourism Products

Workshop Shared and Strategic Governance
The WestMED Technical Group took part in the workshop on Shared and Strategic Governance. Through interactive exercises like the “Imaginary Planet” visioning workshop, the event encouraged creative thinking about future sustainable tourism models, including cross-border governance, local engagement, and sustainable visitor management.

The workshops facilitated the early formation of ideas for joint project proposals, which were later shared during the event’s closing plenary session. Some of the project ideas which were discussed include the application of carrying capacity models particularly in congested areas of tourism, the attraction of tourism in rural areas as a means of spreading the impact of tourism as well as the importance of training to operators in the sectors as well as tourists in order to encourage both the supply and demand of sustainable tourism.

During the workshop, the objectives of the WestMED’s technical group on sustainable tourism were outlined highlighting that the group serves as a technical forum to discuss trends and opportunities towards sustainable tourism within the region and to provide support to participants to develop project ideas around the topics already set at EU level with regards to the tourism-related topics.

The importance of capitalisation was also stressed, highlighting the need to build on the results of past and ongoing projects to avoid duplication and maximise the impact of existing knowledge and tools. Also, emphasis was placed on the importance of ensuring access to region-specific funding opportunities, particularly those that include southern shore countries, to guarantee a balanced approach to sustainable tourism in the Mediterranean.

The event offered a valuable networking opportunity for a range of stakeholders. It was instrumental in reinforcing cooperation, sharing innovation, and building a more cohesive approach to sustainable tourism in the Mediterranean—one that lasts.

Check the event announcement (including agenda)

See below for the Conference recording of the 1st day of this conference.

For more information contact Stephanie Vella: malta@westmed-initiative.eu