For the second year running, the Sustainable Tourism Mission took part in the Sun&Blue Congress, Europe’s leading event on tourism and the blue economy, which was held in Almería, Spain.
On 19 November, the Mission, represented by the Barcelona Provincial Council, together with representatives from TO CARE MED contributed to the side event “Interreg Projects Blue Economy: Present and Future”, which showcased how Interreg projects are driving innovation, sustainability, and resilience across the Mediterranean.
The session showcased successful practices from the Mediterranean region relating to the blue economy and sustainable tourism, and examined how Interreg programmes and projects can contribute to a healthier and more sustainable Blue Economy beyond 2027.
This session was organised by the Mediterranean Multi-Programme Mechanism (MMM) which brings together Interreg programmes to enable closer collaboration and more efficient use of resources in the Mediterranean region.
On November 20, it was held instead the Round Table “Management and decentralisation of tourist flows in maritime and blue destinations”, organised and moderated by the Barcelona Provincial Council.
The session analysed the shared governance of blue destinations, with representatives of the TOURISMO, Port CREW and ECO-SEAROUTES projects illustrating how smart visitor management and sustainable coastal governance can strengthen resilience and promote regional balance across Mediterranean destinations.
These projects are developing pilot schemes in Mediterranean ports, nautical destinations and coastal areas to find solutions for destination management and to decentralise visitor numbers. The discussion was also enriched by the experience of Melilla, an emerging destination interested in developing sustainable nautical and cruise tourism.
The Round Table provided an opportunity to discuss the challenges faced by lesser-known and smaller Mediterranean ports. Attendees discussed how to leverage their natural and cultural heritage to attract visitors and promote the decentralisation of flows, as well as the use of new technologies for management, transport intermodality, and the role of European cooperation in developing transferable solutions throughout the Mediterranean.
Further information regarding the Sustainable Tourism Mission at the Sun&Blue Congress 2025 can be found here.
