In the framework of our key event event CircletheMED our partners of Dialogue4Tourism Project, ASCAME and EPLO, organized a special testing session of the Sustainable Tourism Policy Labs (STPLs) in Athens (Greece). The event count on the participation of about 50 persons representing different Thematic Projects of the Sustainable Tourism Mission, Projects from other Missions, private companies and local and regional policy stakeholders. The Interreg Euro-MED Projects represented apart from Dialogue4Tourism, were AQUAMAN, Herit ADAPT, TOURISMO, MED Routes, Community4Tourism and Dialogue4LA.
After an introduction of the White Paper on Sustainable Tourism in the MED area on Tourism and Climate Adaptation and its main results, Mr. Ioannis Mardikis -EPLO representative- gave the floor to several guest speakers invited for the occasion. From different perspectives: first, Ms. Alexandra Cousteau President of Oceans 2050, highlighted the need to preserve the blue marine ecosystem and the importance of sustainability. Secondly, Ms. Ornela Çuçi, Former Vice Minister at the Ministry of Tourism and Environment in Albania, shared some reflections about the main challenges faced by sustainability in the main tourist destinations in Albania. Thirdly, Mr. Fokion Zaimis, Deputy Governor of Achaia of the Region of Western Greece, Vice-President of the CPMR Intermediterranean Commission, and President of the CPMR Balkan and Black Sea Commission, talked about the challenges of sustainability from the governance regional perspective.
Following the initial reflections, Mr. Luis Miranda, representing ASCAME, outlined the primary objectives of this inaugural testing session of the Sustainable Tourism Policy Labs (STPLs). He then introduced Ms. Giulia Balestracci, specialist in Sustainable Coastal and Marine Tourism, who briefly presented the key sustainable tourism projects that served as foundational references for the session’s design. She subsequently initiated the second part of the event, inviting all participants to engage in a structured participatory process.
Participants were divided into three working groups and asked to use the city of Athens as a reference case to identify and discuss the main challenges and potential solutions related to sustainability, circularity, and innovation in tourism. This collaborative approach aimed to foster dialogue and co-creation among stakeholders from different sectors and regions.
The overarching aim of the session was to contribute to the enhancement of policies relevant to sustainable tourism in the Mediterranean region. In particular, this first Policy Lab served to evaluate participants’ existing knowledge of sustainable tourism policy frameworks, thereby helping to identify the support and capacity needs essential for more informed decision-making and policy development. The discussions were framed around four interconnected thematic pillars: tourism governance, climate change, tourism innovation, and the circular economy within the tourism sector.
