As part of the first component of the Blue Tourism Initiative, a pilot diagnosis on the state of blue tourism was elaborated for Sainte Marie island, northwest of Madagascar.

IDDRI and CORDIO East Africa representatives visited the island to kick off phase 2 of the initiative through the implementation of sustainable blue tourism pilot actions. 

The workshop, organised in the island’s tourism office on November 27th, 2024, aimed to validate the pilot actions envisioned as a result of the diagnosis, with local stakeholders confirming the identified blue tourism ventures and strategies.

During the second component, the Blue Tourism Initiative program will launch the action plan and next steps in this coastal area, building on the results of this initial study to improve tourism strategies for conserving natural resources and promoting local economic development.

The initiative aims to benefit local communities economically by fostering links to conservation and promoting sustainable practices that protect critical coastal habitats and marine ecosystems.