News
Sustainable Blue Tourism in the north of Ngazidja Island, in Comoros
July 2025
The Blue Tourism Initiative is advancing blue tourism in the northern part of Ngazidja Island in Comoros, and empowering coastal community organisations to devise and manage sustainable eco-tourism ventures. This inclusive approach will entail the participation of select community groups in blue tourism problem and priority analysis, project design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. Through this, the Blue Tourism Initiative in Comoros aims to foster the socio-ecological resilience of blue tourism ventures, creating a sustainable tourism ecosystem around a coastal trail.
Ngazidja Island in Comoros
Grantee: CORDIO East Africa
Project Title: Development of a Sustainable Blue Tourism Experience Model in the Mitsamiouli-Ndroude National Park, Promoting Inclusion, Sustainability, and Conservation.
Duration: January 2025 – April 2026
The northern part of Ngazidja Island encompasses some of the main natural wonders of Comoros, from the Salty Lake to the Dragon’s Back, a unique geological rock formation, passing by numerous paradisiac white sandy beaches. These very accessible coastal gems attract both international visitors and local tourists seeking weekend escapes and relaxing getaways. Together, these sites form part of Mitsamiouli-Ndroude National Park, a marine protected area established in 2022 to conserve the unique marine and terrestrial biodiversity of the region, while local residents have an essential role to play in preserving and managing these natural sites.
The Blue Tourism Initiative, in collaboration with CORDIO East Africa and local organisations and stakeholders, will support the region in developing an inclusive, participatory, and sustainable community-based eco-tourism venture across this park.
Project Objectives
- Strengthen Blue Tourism Governance: Enhance governance frameworks in the park to ensure the long-term viability of the sector and its contribution to marine conservation.
- Launch a Viable Business Operation: Develop a sustainable blue tourism experience model in Mitsamiouli-Ndroude National Park that promotes inclusion, sustainability, and conservation.
- Foster Inclusion: Develop an inclusive experience along the coastal trail in Mitsamiouli-Ndroude National Park that engages diverse visitors through accessible pathways, interpretive signage in several languages, and culturally respectful storytelling that highlights the park’s unique biodiversity and heritage.
- Build Operational Capacity: Train local community groups in hospitality, marketing, financial and eco-tourism management.
Key activities
- Participatory development of a sustainable blue tourism destination plan;
- Support the development of a multi-stakeholder blue tourism group within the park’s co-management committee, including village representatives and the tourism sector.
- Provide tailored training to improve park management and governance, including biodiversity monitoring and conservation, enforcement of regulations, visitor management, tourism impact monitoring, and responsiveness.
- Map and open a coastal trail joining both extremities of the park, with the establishment of a homestay and bed & breakfast program.
Expected results
- Increased participation of marginalized groups (women, youths, indigenous people) in tourism and strengthened community ownership in tourism initiatives.
- Improved income of the local community through the development of eco-tourism ventures.
- Enhanced the capacity of the local community to undertake an eco-tourism venture.
Impacts
The project will generate significant and lasting impacts for both the environment and local communities within Mitasmiouli-Ndroude National Park. By aligning sustainable tourism development with marine conservation and inclusive governance, the project contributes to the region’s ecological resilience and socio-economic development.