The Our Blue Future (OBF) Secretariat, hosted by the GIZ—Western Indian Ocean Governance Initiative (WIOGI) project, organized the OBF Strategy Workshop on September 3-4, 2024, in Nairobi, Kenya. Over two productive days, the OBF Steering Team and a diverse group of partners reflected on the progress and strategized ways to advance an inclusive and sustainable blue economy in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region.

The Blue Tourism Initiative was proud to participate in the workshop, with our project coordinator, Angelo Sciacca, launching the Blue Tourism Innovation Team. This new initiative will drive practical projects, discussions, and exchanges on sustainable coastal and marine tourism. It aims to promote innovative, resilient, and inclusive blue tourism practices in the Western Indian Ocean region, while incorporating economic, social, and environmental dimensions. The team will also support transformative local projects, starting with the pilot projects in Kenya (Diana-Shimoni), Comoros (Mitsamiouli Ndroude National Park), and in Madagascar (Ste. Marie Island).
The Blue Tourism Innovation Team also aims to foster cross-regional collaborations with other marine regions, such as the Mediterranean and Caribbean. 

Furthermore, the workshop offers an excellent opportunity for our colleagues from IDDRI and CORDIO to meet and review the next project’s implementation steps in the region. This will take place in the following months in the above-mentioned pilot sites.