On June 5th, from 12:45 to 13:45 CEST, the Blue Tourism Initiative, together with members of the Blue Tourism Innovation Team and the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research, will host the official session: “Coastal and ocean-based tourism – threat to coastal environment or driver of restoration and sustainable development?”
This session, part of the One Ocean Science Congress, will explore the double-edged nature of blue tourism — as both a potential threat to fragile coastal ecosystems and a powerful catalyst for restoration and sustainable development. Focusing particularly on the Euro-Mediterranean and Western Indian Ocean regions, the event will dive into:
- Tourism’s environmental and socio-economic impacts
- Effective governance and policy innovations
- Cruise tourism challenges and mitigation strategies
- Practical models for sustainable tourism taxes or fees
- Best practices from across the globe
Through interactive presentations and panel discussions, the event aims to foster rich exchanges between researchers, policymakers, private sector actors, and civil society. It will promote deeper integration between science, policy, and practice — helping to co-create informed, cross-regional solutions for a more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable blue tourism sector.
Key objectives:
- Strengthen science-policy-practice links
- Share and scale best practices
- Propose actionable recommendations
- Foster collaboration and innovation
Don’t miss this opportunity to engage in shaping the future of blue tourism!