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Towards Inclusive and Sustainable Blue Tourism: Key Takeaways from Our Side Event at the 2026 UN Ocean Conference

17th June 2026

The 11th Our Ocean Conference (OOC11) provided an important platform to explore how blue tourism can drive both marine conservation and inclusive economic development. During the “Towards Inclusive, Sustainable Blue Tourism” side event, experts and practitioners from across the Western Indian Ocean came together to discuss how tourism can become a catalyst for healthier marine ecosystems, stronger coastal communities, and more resilient local economies.

The session opened with an overview of the state of sustainable blue tourism in the Western Indian Ocean by Joshua Rambahiniarison of CORDIO East Africa. His presentation highlighted the region’s immense potential for nature-based tourism while acknowledging the challenges that continue to limit its sustainable growth. He emphasized the importance of stronger governance, better integration of tourism into marine and coastal spatial planning, increased support for community-led enterprises, and approaches that ensure tourism contributes directly to both ecosystem health and local livelihoods.

Building on these themes, Santatra Razafindratsimba of WWF Madagascar shared inspiring examples of how tourism can be successfully integrated with community-based natural resource management. His presentation demonstrated that empowering local communities as stewards of their natural resources not only strengthens biodiversity conservation but also creates more resilient and inclusive tourism economies.

The discussion continued with an engaging panel moderated by Shauna Mahajan, WWF Seascapes Director, featuring Santatra Razafindratsimba, Eleanor Carter from Chumbe Island Coral Park, and Dr. Obakeng Molelu of the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA). The panel explored how policy reform, regional collaboration, and inclusive partnerships can help scale successful community-led blue tourism models across the region.

Throughout the discussion, several key messages emerged:

Blue tourism creates opportunities for inclusive livelihoods, particularly for women and young people, while supporting local economic development.
Community leadership is fundamental to ensuring tourism benefits are shared equitably and reflect local priorities and values.
Healthy coastal and marine ecosystems are the foundation of successful tourism, making conservation an essential investment in long-term economic resilience.
Responsible private sector engagement can generate shared value for communities and conservation when built on transparent and inclusive partnerships.
Stronger governance, policy coherence, and cross-sector collaboration are needed to replicate and scale successful models across the Western Indian Ocean. Collaborative platforms such as the Our Blue Future Tourism Cluster play an important role in facilitating knowledge exchange, coordination, and regional learning.

The event reaffirmed that sustainable blue tourism is not simply about reducing environmental impacts—it is about creating tourism systems that actively restore ecosystems, empower local communities, and generate lasting social and economic benefits.

As the Blue Tourism Initiative continues to foster partnerships and promote innovative approaches to sustainable coastal tourism, the conversations at OOC11 highlighted the growing momentum behind community-centred blue economy solutions. By strengthening collaboration among governments, communities, the private sector, researchers, and conservation organisations, the region can unlock the full potential of blue tourism as a driver of both people and nature-positive development.