The Blue Tourism Initiative co-organised the successful side event “Pathways to a Thriving Mediterranean Blue Economy: Resilience, Innovation, and Sustainability,” held on 4 December 2025 during the 24th Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention in Cairo. The session gathered policymakers, practitioners and researchers to explore how the Mediterranean can advance a resilient, nature-positive and inclusive Blue Economy.

Panel Highlights: Governance, Innovation & Resilient Blue Economies

The multi-stakeholder panel, moderated by Mr. Jeremie Fosse, Director at eco-union, shed light on emerging practices and innovations shaping the future of the Mediterranean Blue Economy. Speakers showcased:

– Morocco’s pathway toward sustainable coastal resource management
– The World Bank’s efforts to accelerate blue jobs and inclusive growth across the MENA region.
– The evolving ocean governance agenda, with blue tourism as a catalytic sector by Julien Rochette, Director of Ocean programme at IDDRI, co-leader of our BTI;
– Nature-based solutions demonstrated through groundwork in Tunisia and Morocco;
– Groundbreaking research and collaboration through 2B-BLUE and ThinkInAzul in blue biotechnology;
– Circular aquaculture innovations from the AZA4ICE project, advancing regenerative food systems.

This side event was jointly organised by eco-union, IDDRI, IUCN-Med, the World Bank, MIO-ECSDE, the University of Patras, and the University of Murcia—reflecting a strong regional coalition dedicated to advancing sustainable development and ocean governance across the Mediterranean.

Introducing the MED Blue Tourism Flagship Initiative

The event also introduced the MED Blue Tourism Flagship Initiative, a new MSSD Flagship designed to scale up sustainable coastal and marine tourism practices in the Mediterranean. The Flagship aims to boost cooperation, nature-based approaches, and evidence-based tourism governance.

Showcasing Mediterranean Action Through Joint Efforts

During the event, IUCN-Med presented the work carried out in the Mediterranean under the Blue Tourism Initiative. Their field-tested pilots in Morocco, Tunisia and beyond demonstrate how:
– nature-based solutions can protect coastal ecosystems,
– local communities can co-design sustainable tourism strategies,
– regional collaboration strengthens governance and climate resilience.
This collective work illustrates the power of multi-stakeholder cooperation to transform tourism models across the Mediterranean.