News
Thematic ad-hoc meeting of the Mediterranean Commission on Sustainable Development (MCSD) 2025 - the Flagship Initiative in Blue Tourism
Istambul, Turkey – February 2025
Our partner eco-union played a key role in the thematic ad-hoc meeting of the Mediterranean Commission on Sustainable Development (MCSD) in Istanbul, Turkey, on February 12-13, 2025. Jeremie Fosse, President of eco-union presented the Flagship Initiative on Blue Tourism within the Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development (MSSD) framework.
This initiative aims to promote the emergence of sustainable blue tourism policies and practices in the Mediterranean region using a bottom-up approach and participatory tools with public and private stakeholders, with special attention to youth and women.
This Flagship Initiative (FI), led by IDDRI and eco-union, has been supported by Mediterranean stakeholders such as the IUCN Centre for the Mediterranean, Plan Bleu, the French Government, UNEP (One Planet Program), among others. This Flagship initiative was endorsed by the Mediterranean Commission on Sustainable Development (MCSD) during the 20th Meeting in Marseille (14-16 June 2023). A dedicated side event was also organised during COP23 of the Barcelona Convention in Slovenia to engage with contracting parties and relevant stakeholders.
This FI capitalises on two existing initiatives related to Sustainable Blue Tourism in the Mediterranean, our Blue Tourism Initiative and the Community4Tourism (C4T), a multi-partner initiative (2023-2029) funded by the Interreg Euro-MED and co-implemented by Plan Bleu.
The initiative aims to:
– Promote sustainable tourism policies that balance economic growth with environmental responsibility;
– Implement Sustainable blue tourism in action through various pilot sites in the Mediterranean countries within the framework of the Blue Tourism Initiative;
– Strengthen collaboration with major regional networks such as the WestMed Initiative and Interreg Euro Med Programme;
– Reduce plastic waste in hotels and encourage eco-friendly practices in the hospitality sector;
– Engage youth and public and private stakeholders in shaping a greener future for Mediterranean tourism.
The discussion in Istanbul served as a stepping stone for further refining and implementing this initiative, ensuring that tourism in the Mediterranean is sustainable and resilient.
Beyond tourism, the event also covered other key sustainability topics, including:
- The flagship initiative on Posidonia and its role in marine ecosystem protection
- Strategies to enhance youth involvement in the MSSD revision process
- Strengthening regional cooperation on environmental policies
Blue Tourism Initiative Med-partners are honoured to contribute to this crucial dialogue and drive meaningful action towards a greener, more sustainable Mediterranean.
>>>> Check the Agenda of the MCSD event <<<<