Theme 3. Sustainable tourism

• First of all, the problem of over-tourism in some places should be acknowledged (here it doesn’t seem to be) and tackled. One issues is to stop, as a policy measure, promoting “fast tourism” (2-days getaways on plane), big cruise boats landing in small ports that do not have adequate capacities. More knowledge & genuine experience-based tourism should be promoted. Business travels, when not needed, should be replaced by online meetings, rather than travelling to some touristic destinations. Big data should be used to disperse tourism pressures and channelling them to the under-used areas. Entrepreneurship should be encouraged (also via public resources) but clear sustainability impact demanded. EMUNI
• The Mediterranean lack common policies on environmental issues but the private sector for the case of tourism is adapting much better to the needs of potential clients than National Authorities. The seasonality aspects represent a pending subject for the touristic sectors and all other sectors related to them (e.g. transport, gastronomy (agriculture, fisheries, aquaculture), energy, etc). IOC-UNESCO
• Fiscal policies, premium and discount on financing as well as employment incentives must be linked to sustainability. Tourism will be no longer if is not sustainable. Zero km or integrating production high level high quality with tourism consumption is one approach in viol ING the food systems. Environment iOS paramount. For all this metrics exists and it is available through the SDG indicators. FAO is custodian of 21 of them. FAO
• Additional points could be: sustainable resource management, spatial impact assessment of infrastructure. MED JS
• Reinforce competitivity for sustainable environment safe tourism and diversification of tourisitc new products by implementation of original and safe products. INSTM – Tunisia
• We should involve insurances, which are a key sector, partly because of the magnitude of resources invested and partly because insurance can incentivize actions by individuals, businesses and governments. A notable example is the insurance policy for nature that was developed for the Mesoamerican Coral Reef in Mexico, which is fully based on an ecosystem service. The business case is built on ensuring that the reef reduces exposure to coastal flood risk from tropical storms and stabilizes beaches to protect a $10 billion per year tourism industry for the towns of Cancún and Puerto Morelos. These local economies heavily depend on tourism related to the Mesoamerican Reef and the beaches behind it.
  Another opportunity is research on bioactive maritime infrastructure, to design biodiversity-rich maritime infrastructure as open-air hubs for recreational, educational and outreach activities. University of Bolognae
• -Apply the approach of the MSP / ICZM during development in the Mediterranean,
  -involve the stakeholders into the decision
  -Raised awareness of stakeholders in green tourism
  -Try to change the mentality of the stakeholders to move towards green tourism.  National Institute of Marine Sciences and Technologies (Tunisia)
• 1-Exhibitions at an international level of entrepreneurs
  2-Opening the door for investors to invest in these ideas
  3-These exhibitions are organized annually in the countries participating in the Union for the Mediterranean
  4-Organizing regional competitions to select the best green youth initiatives
  5-Participation of these initiatives in international conferences and symposium as success stories.  Ministry of Economy – Palestine
• Streamline the legal frameworks to facilitate new business, enforce the green enterprise with low carbon footprints and use incentives. Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna
• Hotel Groups and Tour operators should contribute into international institutions efforts to protect Mediterranean Sea (a percentage from their overall, implementing sustainable development certifications…). Moreover, Governments should work more on transparency via data coming from tourism sector and how we are exploiting the seas and the beaches in order to get a better knowledge about the actual situation, the future achievements.
  Investing in innovative products and diversified including rural areas away from coasts could be an efficient way to protect and reconstitute costal destinations. This could be accompanied by searching new markets and promoting new products.
  Reviewing curriculums, training of trainers’ programs and opting for corporate social responsibilities as vectors to develop new tourism educational programs.  AMFORHT
• To have a ‘green’ Mediterranean we must adapt it to the rise in sea level and prevent the beaches from disappearing.  Presa Puente Estrecho de Gibraltar, SA
• Improve education and actions towards adequate use and discover of nature.   Universidade de Évora, MARE
• Lancer une campagne publicitaire – marketing territorial – pour l’ensemble de la Méditerranée, à l’échelle mondiale, pour mettre en évidence les vertus de l’écotourisme MED et en simultanée mettre en oeuvre un programme d’appui aux PME et jeunes entrepreneurs du secteur touristique “vert”, ami de l’environnement.  DynMed Alentejo – Associação para Estudos e Projectos de Desenvolvimento Regional Projectos de Dese
• http://planbleu.org/fr/publications/recommandations-politiques-elaborees-par-la-communaute-mediterraneenne-du-tourisme  .  Association Tunisienne de l’Ingénierie Côtière, Portuaire et Maritime (ATIM)
• 1. Promote the use of environmentally sustainable activities and enable companies to be more innovative socially, economically and environmentally through the creation of a system of social, participatory, legal, economic and knowledge-based incentives to facilitate the process.
  2. The collaboration and participation of key users in the formulation of business and growth lines in tourist areas should be encouraged. And give options to diversify tourism activities by promoting other activities for times of lower visitor number.  UNIVERSIDAD DE MURCIA
• Build business models that take all the above into consideration. Disseminate the knowledge, raise the awareness and develop the capacities of the beneficiaries. Ensure updated legislations to facilitate the implementation while establishing a strong incentive scheme to encourage the different stakeholders to get involved.  RAED – Arab Network for Environment and Development
• Kindly review my previous answers since most approaches will require anticipating by studies and / or programme designing. For this one, I believe the ILO can play a vital role since they have programme designed for helping potential entrepreneurs to establish their businesses, in addition to other programme that can help growing / improving existing businesses: Start & Improve Your Business (SIYB) – more information can be found at the following link: https://www.ilo.org/empent/areas/start-and-improve-your-business/lang–en/index.htm .   The-Marketer.net / HOMERe Permanent Secretariat South Shore Mediterranean
• Our suggestions are:-           Reinforce technical and vocational training for the hospitality sector with environmental and sustainable development components.-           Introduce tax incentives to tourism-related companies that introduce environmental management schemes into their businesses.-           Reinforce environmental protection legislation to achieve good environmental status.-           Limit development of infrastructure and buildings in coastal areas.-           Any approach taken should be the result of a truly participatory process involving all stakeholders from the design phase.-           Gazette marine protected areas.-           Tax incentives to young entrepreneurs creating tourism-oriented enterprises and businesses models.-           Promotion of MPAs as models of sustainable local development.-           Promotion of small-scale fisheries.-           Promotion of nature-based tourism.-           Promotion of underwater heritage.-           Promotion of payments for ecosystem services for blue carbon (coastal wetlands, Posidonia meadows…).-           Promotion of green-blue infrastructure.Mediterranean Information Office for Environment, Culture and Sustainable Development (MIO-ECSDE)
• Respect for local nature, flora and fauna is also fundamental. Private investments should respect and foster both local craftmanship and traditions and nature. Development must show that is compatible with traditions and nature.     Any public and private investment must ensure that is taking care of the local environment and local people by contracting local people, involving them in the project and communicating and assuring that it will not damage in any way neither the nature nor the people. While otherwise it will promote and enhance local businesses and nature.  ECONCRETE
• – To promote eco-tourism in alternative destinations such as protected areas. See the example of the MEET Network.
  – To encourage sustainability assessment of touristic packages considering the environmental, economic and social pillar.
  – To offer capacity building activities for SMEs, young entrepreneurs, enterprises to make their activities more sustainable
  – To promote community-based tourism in rural areas.  BETA Tech Center, UVic/UCC – Interreg MED Green Growth
• Again, train and educate policymakers and sectoral representatives.   METU Institute of Marine Sciences
• Sustainable Tourism must be understood as a responsible tourism rather than “green” tourism. Tourism is not just an economic sector but also a crosscutting reality affecting “the whole of society and its economic, social, cultural and territorial life” therefore; it has to be responsible with the needs of the territory that holds this activity.
  The aspiration is using tourism to make better places for people to live in. This challenge has to be dealt, mostly by local authorities, as they have the responsibility to ensure and promote the quality of life of their citizens, and because local authorities are assuming the environmental, social and economic costs associated with tourist visits. Local authorities have a key role on tackling this vital challenge: shifting from traditional tourism model to a sustainable tourism model. Local authorities should assume an integral tourism management system, including areas not traditionally linked with tourism as mobility, security, accommodation, or urban design in their tourism policies. This integral vision facilitates the coexistence between tourism and daily life activity in a destination, making tourism a sustainable activity. One essential step to shift from the traditional tourism model to a sustainable tourism model is that tourism policies has to be built as a collective project, because it is a collective issue, and local authorities has to lead this process ensuring a participatory framework where private sector and social and community players can discuss while the destinations’ general interest is ensured.
  It becomes clear that Mediterranean Regions need strategies to reinforce the public leadership of tourism governance.
  The Mediterranean region should shift into a sustainable destination by:
  • Reducing the carbon footprint of transport (reduce the distance of the journey and increase the number of overnights)
  • Fostering a sustainable and circular economy consumption
  • Reducing the overcrowding
  • Ensuring the best social return on the economic activity generated from tourism.
  • Boosting Knock-on effect to promote new strategic and sustainable tourism business.
  • Turning tourism into a lever of change for launching other non-extractive activities.
  • Ensuring tourism model responds to the needs of the territory.
  • Fostering the people participation in the creation of their tourism model.
  • Avoiding destinations standardization and preserving the identity values
  • Creating new inland tourist destinations linked to identity, art and natural heritage to reduce the print on the coastal territories.
  • Stablishing slots or quota for maximum number of persons for certain destinations.
  There is a need to shift from the logic of tourism policies that for many years has been only concerned with attracting tourist, to build a sustainable tourism strategy that reinforce the leadership of public and local authorities, involving the private sector and community to create a long-term responsible vision that guarantees the destination sustainability. It is crucial to build consensus and joint work on the city’s tourist policies with the entire actors involved; convincing all the actors that today sustainability and responsible criteria is the only way to ensure destinations’ competitiveness.
  The sustainable tourism strategy has to define a local economic development strategy that ensures to foster local resources, facilitate investment and innovative, responsible, tourism business projects, and boost quality employment with long-term vision and a minimum territorial impact.  MedCities
• Technologies should play an important role to measure the impact of tourism and to predict tourism flows. The implementation of sustainable tourism models to decongest the flow of tourists.   Fundacion Valenciaport
• A strong taxes-benefits policy to tax more and more unsustainable practices (including over tourism) and finance the transition to sustainable ones.  University of Siena
• A regional pilot action on “digital ecosystems for coastal tourism destinations to support the design of policies: from opportunities’ mapping to intelligence production” should be built. Indeed, to develop sustainable and low environmental footprint solutions as precondition for preserving the natural and cultural heritage in the long term, the transition towards a more sustainable tourism should be implemented with the support of socio-economic research and the exploitation of prospects offered by the digitalization to support decisions making. In particular, the following set of actions, oriented towards multiple-targets, need to be addressed:
  • Beyond commodities: exploit tourism as vehicle for environmental-friendly behaviours;
  • Develop monitoring and evaluation systems of tourism flows, assessing carrying capacities of destinations, to support an efficient management of tourism flows and impacts leading to an effective governance of a greener and sustainable tourism industry;
  • Develop methodology, tools and systems for assessing environmental impacts of tourism and its drivers in the Mediterranean area focusing on coastal urbanization trends (tourist ghost cities) and related pressures to improve protection of coastline ecosystems;
  • Focus on big data analytics and ICT technologies and services to strengthen access to sustainable development policies, more efficient use of natural resources and cultural heritage, and management of infrastructures in coastal and marine areas;
  • Train a new generation of marine technicians/scientists to conduct research on the protection and valorization of the marine cultural heritage, including 3D and 4D rendering and augmented observation.  National Research Council of Italy
• – Develop and implement comprehensive national strategic frameworks for sustainable tourism, defining clear national objectives and including training programmes for entrepreneurs, in sustainable circular economy approaches and technologies.
  – Promote the wide adoption of standards (such as the Global Sustainable Tourism Council ones) in mass tourism businesses and destinations.
  – Strengthen regulatory frameworks and associated penalties to curtail unsustainable tourism practice and enhance national fiscal and funding incentives to promote sustainable tourism. Adopt the approach of «Reduce, Reuse, Recycle» also in tourism investments.
  – Within marine and coastal planning processes (MSP, ICZM) achieve better integration of planning of tourism developments with natural protection (especially focusing on coastal and MPAs)
  – Promote initiatives aiming to decrease the footprint of tourism in mass tourism areas, and to increase the added value of the sector for local communities and stakeholders.   WWF
• Il faudra mettre en place des projet intégrés ou les populations puissent avoir des allitératifs pro-environnement pour réduire les pressions sur les écosystèmes notamment marins et côtiers.  Ministère de l’agriculture, pêche maritime, développement durable eaux et forêts: département pêche maritime – Maroc
• Ensuring the ports are fully equipped to cater for cold ironing and availability of bunkers with 0.5% sulfur in most if not all ports in the Med.  Malta Maritime Forum
• Recommendations from the MEET (Mediterranean Experience of Eco-Tourism) network (coordinated by IUCN Med) would have to be taken into account.  MedPAN, the Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas Network
• – Accelerate the energy investment in Mediterranean Tourism Industry. Regional and local authorities should support the investment in energy efficiency travel and tourist facilities, by ensuring funding opportunities and supporting Research & Innovation activities. In this framework, public sustainable procurement for innovation in the Blue economy sector can be an effective catalyzer for the market entry of promising ITCs, fundamental for the better management of tourism related resources.
  – Strengthening the governance framework that promotes sustainable tourism. Notably, by agreeing upon a coherent common policy framework at the local, regional, and European level by means of an inclusive and structured consensus process involving all stakeholders.
  – Plan and manage tourism sustainably. Local and Regional authorities should apply means for planning and managing tourism areas sustainably, for instance, the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Protocol, Maritime Spatial Planning, the Ecosystem-Based Management principles.
  – Reduce seasonality by promoting alternative offers. Local and regional authorities, as well as private sectors, should promote alternative destinations, such as rural tourism, hinterland, slow tourism and cultural tourism, especially during summer months, when tourism flows are concentrated in crowded coastal areas.
  – Build effective collaboration among tourism stakeholders, through the medium of new networks to diffuse and disseminate policies, project results, and good practices gathered within the framework of ecotourism to achieve multiplier effect.
  – Preserving and Promoting Mediterranean Maritime Natural and Cultural Heritage. By increasing social and environmental performance through certifications, labels and ethical codes to promote quality products, responsible services and transparent business, or by communicating resident’s and tourists’ collective responsibility to preserve destinations’ natural and cultural assets.
  – Citizens’ awareness raising on the environment and sustainable tourism. Local communities, as well as, NGOs, schools and research centers, should develop tourism awareness activities within the scope of sustainable tourism.
  – Use of methodologies, as the 3-PBM methodology (iBLUE Interreg MED project), that are based on the iterative use of Business Model Canvas (BMC) and Resources-Processes-Values (RPV) framework, during which companies of the yachting sector gradually increase knowledge and management capability of their economic, social and environmental performance and impact.   Med Blue Growth community
• Coastal and Maritime tourism around the Mediterranean should be carefully monitored and managed to avoid negative environmental impacts, economic leakages and social conflicts. In particular, voluntary and regulatory instruments should be combined to involve tourism industry, travellers and destinations towards a greener and more responsible tourism.   eco-union
• To foster sustainable tourism across the Med., the creation of a “green blue-tourism label” followed by a network of labeled sites for coordination and experience sharing, planning and co-development, complementing each other, could be a tool fostering the adoption of green practices and design of sustainable blue tourism projects/activities. Also, the communication and coordination with green-listed coastal/marine parks and nature reserves, would serve as a road-map or role-model, to learn from and get support through capacity building and experience sharing,creating thus a sustainable, mutually beneficial partnership.  Green Community NGO
• -Promouvoir à l’échelle européenne les collectivités engagées dans des démarches “vertes et bleues”(ex: port propre actif en biodiversité)
  -Promouvoir à l’échelle européenne les territoires engagés (AMP, sentier sous-marins, actions d’ingénierie écologique, etc…) => genre de label “territoire engagé pour la nature”
  -Bien vérifier que les mesures/actions mises en œuvre ne soit pas du greenwashing et/ou des mesures qui n’ont aucun bénéfice écologique validé scientifiquement (cf point 8).   ECOCEAN
• Encourager le tourisme de niche.  Agence Nationale des ports Maroc
• Encore une fois, c’est exactement l’initiative de NOAH ReGen.
  Notre modèle économique (NOAh’s Arks) s’appuie sur une nouvelle offre hôtelière : NOAH AH (Augmented Hospitality).
  Cette marque sera flottante (création de valeur par la création de surfaces flottantes sans foncier), 100% autosuffisante, zéro déchet, modulable.
  La puissance du rendement hôtelier en cœur des grandes capitales côtières permet d’absorber dans le financement, les Blue Hubs qui eux sont dédiés à la croissance industrielle, à la R&D, à l’incubation de start-ups. Ces Blue Hubs ne seraient pas finançables autrement, ni le private equity ni la private debt s’intéresseraient à un modèle économique incertain de soutien à la R&D maritime. L’idée est donc d’utiliser le secteur touristique pour supporter le secteur industriel dans le modèle de financement initial.
  Ainsi, les business plans des hôtels flottants, permettent le financement des NOAh’s Arks qui offrent l’infrastructure de ces Blue Hubs: headquarters de la Blue Growth.
  A partir de ces headquarters, les strat-ups incubées et les partenaires du Blue Consortium, apportent les solutions et la croissance industrielle, les nouveaux marchés…
  Il ne faut que l’obtention d’autorisations des autorités locales pour l’implantation de ces NOAH’s Arks en cœur de ville, dès lors, nous pouvons lancer cette Blue Revolution by NOAH.  NOAH ReGen
• – La nature, le paysage et les plages de la Méditerranée permettent le développement de l’écotourisme, à petite échelle, à développer.
  – Encourager les PME pour investir dans le secteur du tourisme écologique et rural, jusqu’à maintenant considéré comme de haut risque.  Institut National de Recherche Halieutique
• Tourism is one of the most fragile and crucial sectors for the Mediterranean area. The sanitary crisis actually going on will have very important consequences on tourism and both public institution and private companies will need to engage seriously for supporting the sector, but also for proposing new products and services.
  Stakeholders will need to tackle several great old and new challenges: rebuild the sector, facing climate changes, responding to the new needs of travelers and tourists after the crisis (ex: need to escape, strengthening social links… ) facing over-tourism phenomenon….
  It is too early to make a serious analysis, but we think stakeholders will need above all to encourage creativity and innovative approaches to imagine efficient solutions to face such an exceptional situation.  AVITEM
• Build an active public-private Platform. Ensure all Ocean business are involved.  National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries
• The COVID-19 pandemia is having devastating effects on the tourism sector, including hospitality and travels. It is demonstrating how fragile delicate and vulnerable the tourism sector is.
  After the pandemia probably the worlds won’t be the same, and so tourism. We will need to prepare to big changes in our life and in our way of travelling, visiting, using our free time.
  So we, the Sustainable Tourism community of the Mediterranean (funded by the INTERREG MED ERDF programme) believe that the next UFM position on blue economy should put at the front the quick recovery of the tourism sector, wich should start with a stronger support to the sustainable tourism. The concept of sustainability applying to economic, environmental and social aspect.
  Some inputs:
  Availability of recovery-funds for actions ready to be implemented “ready to start” in these sectors:- marketing towards consumers
  – diversification and de-seasonalitation of the offer
  – infrastructures
  – mobility
  – local economySome examples:
  • investment on greening the infrastructures: such as zero-energy buildings; water savings ; zero waste services;
  • investment on local chains of food: encouraging the local supply of food, encouraging local productions and typical productions;
  • investment in green transports both for tourists and for services related to tourism and related infrastructures
  • quick funds for local SMEs dealing with sustainable activities and employmentEmpowerment of multilevel governance schemes for:
  Funds to projects to improve the sustainable coastal management and the biodiversity protectionfunds to projects that are developing “Low impact” and diversified tourism: cycle tourism, eco-itineraries, underwater activities, sports, sustainable events.- funding of new business and management models
  – subventions tourism and hospitality sector
  – loans and postponements of payments for SMEs,
  – funding for diversification of tourism industry
  – implementations of new tools to monitor consequences of global events on tourism
  – education and transfers of best practices on crisis management in tourismWith regards to the points of the questionnaire:
  Use of big-data
  • 1.1. Advocate at EU level for a Common Methodological Framework to measure and monitor tourism sustainability in the Mediterranean aligned with existing tools within the European policy framework.
  • 1.3. Incorporate tailor-made indicators for destination types that capitalise on existing indicator systems at EU and international level.
  • 2.1. Allocate additional financial resources to measuring and monitoring sustainability adapted to regional and national government commitments to include measuring and monitoring activities in their action plans, with specific indicators and in the pursuit of concrete results.
  • 2.3. Design specific training on measuring tourism and its sustainability for SMEs, destination management organizations and statistics producers.
  • 3.1. Establish collaboration mechanisms between data producers and users to increase dissemination and build a multi-level critical mass of information on a wide range of tourism issues.
  • 3.3. Review the methods used to build official statistics to provide end-users with user-friendly data.
  • 11.2 Facilitate knowledge and information sharing between stakeholders while building their big data capacity to promote knowledge-based policy decisions.To maximize its potential for SME growth and overall sustainable local development
  • 6.3. Apply economic instruments (e.g. taxes, pricing systems, incentives, etc.) to promote changes in citizen and business behaviour in Mediterranean tourist areas.
  • 8.1 Assess local tourism supply/demand to spot strengths and challenges and optimise the chain through solutions that increase productivity and improve resource efficiency to generate higher local profits and reduce pressures.
  • 8.2 Promote stable and qualified jobs to increase destinations’ competitiveness through quality products and services, which require well trained, better paid, workers.How should we ensure public and private investments for sustainable infrastructure, business,
  • 4.1. Set up quantitative/qualitative thresholds above which natural or cultural assets cannot sustain additional visitors and activities without losing value and appeal.
  • 4.3. Recognize the value of the ecosystem services on which most tourism activities and local livelihoods and well-being depend, to campaign for their sustainable use.
  • 5.1. Enforce legally binding instruments, such as the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Protocol, Maritime Spatial Planning, the Ecosystem-Based Management principles and the Zoning approach for planning and managing tourism areas.
  • 6.2. Communicate residents’ and tourists’ collective responsibility to preserve destinations’ natural and cultural assets.
  • 10.3 Ensure local communities benefit when investing in tourism facilities, services or goods, as they make essential contributions to the tourism industry (e.g. mobility services, food, traditions, crafts, etc).Product diversification in terms of seasonality
  • 7.1. Propose innovative off-season products and services (cycling, eco-itineraries, culinary experiences, underwater museums and archaeology)
  • 7.2. Promote hinterland destinations (e.g. through quality standards) and alternative tourism models (e.g. ecotourism and slow tourism) while offering low-carbon mobility solutions from the coast to inland territories.
  • 9.3 Evolve from all-inclusive or low-cost “Sun, Sea, Sand” offers to more added value products and services by investing in quality infrastructures and emphasizing site-specific environmental and social peculiarities to increase differentiation from other destinations.
  •
  Access to new markets
  • 9.1 Incentivize quality products and services through clear and easily implementable certificates and labels endorsed by residents.
  • 9.2 Ensure destination access for all, including visitors with physical or mental disabilities. This is an opportunity to extend the market and a principle of social responsibility.
  • 10.2 Build a common Mediterranean identity, value and vision by using unique historic, culinary or cultural heritage to achieve a competitive advantage in the global market.  arco latino
• Tourism should be funding and reinforcing buy-back of land to return to natural state. The hotels built in inappropriate locations should eventually be phased out to return as much land as possible to a European ecological park. Land should be set-aside/tourist to really have the necessary investment in the organizations that have key roles in protection of Natural parks and unique resources. Water use is a priority those resources that are scarce and of key importance should be factored into realistic calculations of sustainability. If ecotourism is to be a reality then impacts on the natural countryside and resources have to be minimised, buffer zones expanded and a true “green vision” developed. This should include biodiversity, natural resources, countryside but also tradition (not cost effective) but truly sustainable – it is necessary to add value to the traditional skills and resource utilization so that people take up career in dying traditional sectors.  Centro de Ciências do Mar, Universidade do Algarve
• As an answer to the first question, the big challenge faced by the Mediterranean tourism industry in their potential shift towards a more sustainable activity is convincing the main actors to work and invest in that direction.
  One way of making them aware of the relevance of this change is awarding them for their activities related to Corporate Social Responsibility activity. Rewards act as incentives that will take them to dedicate more effort and resources to these activities.
  If Public institutions and industry associations orient those rewards toward activities contributing to the “blue economy” and the Mediterranean Region, tourism companies will shift to greater efforts in this direction.
  Moreover, the greater relevance consumers associate to responsible brands and the experience of ethic and responsible tourism services will be another incentive for the change in the industry.  Universidad de Murcia
• A strong sustainable tourism plan and strategy is a requirement to a better Mediterranean future. Focus and investments should be on rural tourism, eco-tourism, use of less vehicles and tourism energy efficiency.  Lebanese University – Green Community
• Les communes du littoral se caractérisent par un dynamisme fortement encouragé par le tourisme. Cependant, ce secteur peut avoir des effets tels que
  la saisonnalité du travail, l’augmentation des prix des logements ou la perte de valeurs culturelles. Par conséquent, afin de créer un tissu économique
  diversifié qui offre des opportunités stables aux jeunes et digne les professions traditionnelles, telles que la pêche, et les nouvelles, telles que celles
  liées à l’aquaculture et aux secteurs émergents, des mesures doivent être prises dans différents domaines.
  1. Renforcer et soutenir le rôle local de l’économie bleue dans le développement, en tant que catalyseurs de synergies entre les acteurs maritimes locaux
  2. Identification des besoins de personnel qualifié dans le secteur maritime et facilitation de leur formation
  3. Création de mécanismes de formation et de passation de marchés garantissant une importance générationnelle dans la pêche.
  4. Soutien aux petites entreprises du secteur maritime.
  5. Promotion nationale et internationale des initiatives touristiques locales.  Barcelona Advocats i Assessors
• En Europe, il y a plus de 40 millions de pratiquants de sports nautiques. La collaboration entre les ports de plaisance de la Méditerranée, Nord-Sud, Est-Ouest, permettra un développement durable et la création d’infrastructures touristiques et industrielles (chantiers navals) avec un fort impact socio-économique, notamment dans le sud et l’est de la Méditerranée. Cela contribuera également à réduire la pression sur le littoral, la mise en œuvre de mesures communes contre le changement climatique et à réduire la saisonnalité.  CIPPM
• 1. Competent authorities should adopt a “co-evolutionary approach” in tourism and coastal planning, taking into account the social, economic and environmental impacts of Coastal and Maritime Tourism;
  2. Taking stock, put in value and build on experiences, results and models coming from the MED Sustainable Tourism Community (Interreg MED programme): Strategic integrated planning, Tourism Sustainability toolkit and models for develop “green” touristic destinations (with reference to Co-Evolve, Mitoded+, Castwater and other Interreg Med ST projects as InHerit);
  3. Launch a dedicated campaign to communicate and promote EU and other environmental label to raise awareness for greater use especially in the touristic businesses in the Med area;
  4. Address the lines of financing towards the upgrading of tourist facilities with investments that have a minor impact on the environment, and promoting sustainability in all its forms, matching with UN Sustainable Development Goals (A2030):
  • Sustainability in terms of social, environmental, economic, aspects: good work conditions, adequate salaries, respect of rights / limit resources consumption, reduce – remove causes of water, air and soil pollution, ban any single-use plastics, operate a correct waste management / adequate prize of the services, adequate distribution of the incomes, to guarantee the wider benefits for the territory (maintenance, protection, etc.) and the local communities (welfare, education, wellness, etc.);
  5. Design touristic offers following further than sustainability, also principles of Inclusivity and Diversification, making proposals looking to and matching with UN Sustainable Development Goals (A2030):
  • Inclusivity in terms of valorising local traditions, involving local communities in co-design of the touristic offers (participatory approach), valorising local skills and competences, arrange and support local networks in interacting with national and international touristic operators;
  • Diversification in terms of promoting coasts, sea, as well as the inland areas, alternative targeted/specific offers (cultural, historical, archaeological, traditional, gastronomic, cycling, trekking, etc.) suitable for different periods of the year, govern and regulate de-seasonality.  CPRM
• A travers l’intégration de toutes les parties prenantes dans chaque projet et l’implication de la société civile. De même le partage de données restera l’outil le plus efficace.  ASSOCIATION DE PROTECTION DU LITTORAL A MAAMOURA – APLM
• Les acteurs territoriaux sont les plus à même de développer une nouvelle forme de faire du tourisme avec l’appui des investissements publics et privés. Pour cela il faudrait donner aux destinations des avantages tant fiscaux comme en termes de promotion pour les acteurs jouant la carte du tourisme vert et favoriser les initiatives de coopération touristique et de désaisonnalisation du tourisme en les appuyant financièrement dans leur campagne notamment de communication et de labellisation.  eurorégion Pyrénés Méditerranée
• Aménager des infrastructures modernes et écologiques pour attirer l’attention des touristes.
  Aménager des espace verts et utiliser des espèces en voie de disparitions qui vont favoriser la protection du cordon littoral  et protéger les villes contre les érosion côtières.  ONG ASSISTANCE COMMUNAUTAIRE et développement ASCOM
• La participation de l’UpM dans la négociation de programmes de gestion directe de l’Union Européenne puis des Fonds Structurels et d’Investissement Européens, dans le but de faire présents ces objectifs.  Generalitat Valenciana
• – Identifier, protéger et restaurer les écosystèmes vulnérables et dégradés des zones côtières, marines et terrestres de la méditerranée;
  – Identifier, valoriser et protéger le patrimoine culturel maritime, l’identité locale et les savoirs traditionnels en vue de promouvoir la position de la méditerranée comme une destination touristique.
  – Lancement des projets régionaux de labellisation des plages propres, marinas propres et ports verts, navires verts.
  – Promouvoir le sport nautique, le tourisme de croisière,  au niveau des côtes de la méditerranée.
  – Développer les programmes de formation à la fois stratégiques, techniques  et opérationnels.
  – Développer l’écotourisme dans les zones humides, pour une meilleure valorisation de la zone côtière.
  – Renforcer la synergie entre les activités de tourisme et les autres activités costières;
  – Mettre en place des projets de valorisation des sites écologiques du littoral dans le cadre de promotion de l’écotourisme ;
  – Aménager les sites dans le respect de leurs fragilités et en répondant aux attentes des visiteurs ou usagers, notamment à travers la mise en place des infrastructures pédagogiques et l’aménagement de l’espace pour les personnes à mobilité réduite.  DIRECTION DES PORTS ET DU DOMAINE PUBLIC MARITIME
• Greater investment in the assessment of direct and indirect impacts caused by tourism on ecosystem services in the coastal areas. The results of which should then act as a baseline to guide intervention and investment in Mediterranean coastal regions.
  Destination management and marketing organizations have to make a better use of direct field observations and knowledge of local actors as proxies to reconstruct visitors’ spatial behavior. They ought to use data as a means to an end focused on the development of sustainable products and services, rather than understand data as an end in itself.
  On a policy level there should be greater efforts placed on aligning the agendas of the environmental and tourism sectors, so that these sectors strategies complement one another instead of working towards contradictory goals. (IUCNMED).  IUCN Med
• Diversify the types of tourism currently on offer, with a focus on moving towards more opportunities for ecotourism activities in low season and a move away from traditional sun, sand and sea tourism.
  Offer tutoring and economic contributions to companies and aspiring entrepreneurs in the tourism chain (start-up) at a Mediterranean level thorough initiatives and projects financed with the aim of creating innovative, sustainable, experiential products and services and new business models;
  Align the marketing and promotion campaigns to the needs of sustainability of the territory.  MEET Network
• 1. To create a sort of online toolkit that can be easily consulted, with results and tools created in the various European projects on sustainable tourism;over the years many projects have been carried out on the theme of sustainable tourism ( es: LIFE Sutour, InterregMed Consumeless, InterregMed MITOMED+, and so on), each of which has led to the creation of tools and protocols for SME’S or destinations; if there was a way to see them all, everyone could choose the one that best suits their needs;
  2. to use the San Gallo method (use of big data) to understand tourist flows within destinations and plan activities accordingly;
  3. to work on the development of community-based tourism to encourage sustainable tourism development in small destinations;
  4. to promote training on accessible and inclusive tourism to tackling seasonality issues and to enhance the development of new markets;
  5. to increase resources for “green innovation” and make them easier to access also for small businesses, through training courses, including webinar, interactive application, and free consultations;
  6. to enhance the capacity building and cooperation among key stakeholders (such as public and private bodies, civil society, SMEs, tourist support facilities) in supporting a tourist market based on the sustainable management of natural resources;
  7. to promote the adoption of good practices, among tourist operators, such as water and energy consumption as well as waste management in the tourist structures. To show this virtuous behaviour to the tourists through a catalog or similar to build a customer loyalty and at the same time, to raise their awareness.  Legambiente Onlus
• We need to develop the tools needed to increase the value of underwater heritage.  Cartagena Oceanographic Research Institute
• 1. Competent authorities should adopt a “co-evolutionary approach” in tourism and coastal planning, taking into account the social, economic and environmental impacts of Coastal and Maritime Tourism;
  2. Taking stock, put in value and build on experiences, results and models coming from the MED Sustainable Tourism Community (Interreg MED programme): Strategic integrated planning, Tourism Sustainability toolkit and models for develop “green” touristic destinations (with reference to Co-Evolve, Mitoded+, Castwater and other Interreg Med ST projects as InHerit);
  3. Launch a dedicated campaign to communicate and promote EU and other environmental label to raise awareness for greater use especially in the touristic businesses in the Med area;
  4. Address the lines of financing towards the upgrading of tourist facilities with investments that have a minor impact on the environment, and promoting sustainability in all its forms, matching with UN Sustainable Development Goals (A2030):
  • Sustainability in terms of social, environmental, economic, aspects: good work conditions, adequate salaries, respect of rights / limit resources consumption, reduce – remove causes of water, air and soil pollution, ban any single-use plastics, operate a correct waste management / adequate prize of the services, adequate distribution of the incomes, to guarantee the wider benefits for the territory (maintenance, protection, etc.) and the local communities (welfare, education, wellness, etc.);
  5. Design touristic offers following further than sustainability, also principles of Inclusivity and Diversification, making proposals looking to and matching with UN Sustainable Development Goals (A2030):
  • Inclusivity in terms of valorising local traditions, involving local communities in co-design of the touristic offers (participatory approach), valorising local skills and competences, arrange and support local networks in interacting with national and international touristic operators;
  • Diversification in terms of promoting coasts, sea, as well as the inland areas, alternative targeted/specific offers (cultural, historical, archaeological, traditional, gastronomic, cycling, trekking, etc.)  suitable for different periods of the year, govern and regulate de-seasonality.  Emilia-Romagna Region
• Better position the Mediterranean as “greener” touristic destination and driver for sustainable, cultural and economic development, notably through:
  • The strengthening of governance frameworks that promote sustainable tourism. More particularly, by agreeing upon a coherent common policy framework at the local, regional, European and Mediterranean level by means of an inclusive and structured consensus process involving all stakeholders.
  • The planning and managing tourism sustainably through local and Regional authorities’ application of means for planning and managing tourism areas sustainably, for instance, the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Protocol, Maritime Spatial Planning, the Ecosystem-Based Management principles.
  • The stimulation of performance and competitiveness, favoring the sustainability/environmental quality element: encouraging an extension of the tourist season, public-private dialogue as well as developing the necessary skills, promoting R&D and new ICT solutions.
  • More precisely, the reduction of seasonality that could be implemented by promoting alternative offers. Local and regional authorities, as well as the private sector and local communities, should promote alternative destinations, such as rural tourism, hinterland, slow tourism, and cultural tourism, especially during summer months, when tourism flows are concentrated in crowded coastal areas.
  • Besides, the development of ecotourism as well has been identified as a solution to mitigate tourism dynamics that are yet to be rendered more sustainable, and/or in areas of the basin presenting an economic and cultural potential.
  • The improvement of knowledge, by complementing the lack of comparable data and common indicators on sustainable tourism as well as promoting certifications/labels.
  • To that end and beyond, the building of effective collaboration among tourism stakeholders, through the medium of new networks to diffuse and disseminate policies, project results, and good practices gathered within the framework of ecotourism to achieve multiplier effect.
  • See to citizens’ awareness raising on environmental and sustainable tourism. Local communities, as well as, NGOs, schools and research centers, should develop tourism awareness activities within the scope of sustainable tourism.
  • Further actions and initiatives should be developed to foster youth entrepreneurship for the sector, such as adapted tools (e.g. platforms) to foster networking between young people interested in starting their own business and more experienced people/mentors. Other actions could be that of specific trainings/modules to assist young entrepreneurs starting their business.
  • Preserving and Promoting Mediterranean Maritime Natural and Cultural Heritage. By increasing social and environmental performance through certifications, labels and ethical codes to promote quality products, responsible services and transparent business, or by communicating resident’s and tourists’ collective responsibility to preserve destinations’ natural and cultural assets.
  • Transversally, the acceleration of clean energy investments in Mediterranean Tourism Industry is key to accompany the transition towards a more sustainable tourism sector. Regional and local authorities should support the investment in energy efficiency travel and tourist facilities, by ensuring funding opportunities and supporting R&I activities. In this framework, public sustainable procurement for innovation in the blue economy sector can be an effective catalyzer for the market entry of promising ICTs, fundamental for the better management of tourism related resources.
  • Overall, the mainstreaming of sustainable tourism, for example by supporting advocacy actions towards EU relevant DGs on costal and maritime tourism within the blue economy and emerging basin strategies, and towards the UE COSME programme; reflecting on a future agenda on coastal and maritime tourism in the Med, in parallel with the reflections on macro regional and maritime basin strategies (like EUSAIR and West Med).
  As in many other sectors of the Blue Economy, any of these actions should foresee the necessary involvement of local and regional authorities to be more effective and adapted to the different contexts. In addition, strong synergies among actors, initiatives and programmes dealing with this topic (e.g. UfM, IMC-CPMR, Sustainable Tourism Community of the Interreg MED, ENI-CBC-MED Programme, BLUEMED, EUSAIR, WESTMED, the Mediterranean Cooperation Alliance, etc.) would contribute to develop impactful joint actions and mobilise the necessary dedicated investments.
  To conclude, given the current situation, an important additional reflection as regards (sustainable) tourism should be made, in light of the devasting impact on this sector of the actual COVID19 outbreak, which is seriously affecting global economy, and notably the EU and the MED.  Intermediterranean Commission of CPMR
• Tourism  is  one  of  the  most  dynamiceconomic  sectors  in  many  countries,  developed  but  also developing  ones,  with  a  wide  range  of  upstream  and  downstream  effects  on  other  economic  activities thanks to a very large and diversified supply chain.
  Many countries  do  have  assets  of  enormous  value  to  the  tourism  sector,  such  as  culture,  art, landscape,  wildlife  and  climate,  and  are  very  well  positioned  to  develop  tourism  as  a  key  sector contributing to economic growth.
  A further elaboration of sustainable tourism refers to the need for it to: Make optimal use of environmental resources that constitute a key element in tourism development, maintaining essential ecological processes and helping to conserve natural heritage and biodiversity, Respect  the  socio-cultural  authenticity  of  host  communities,  conserve  their  built  and  living  cultural heritage and traditional values, and contribute to inter-cultural understanding and tolerance, Ensure  viable,  long-term  economic  operations,  providing  socio-economic  benefits  to  all  stakeholders that  are  fairly  distributed,  including  stable  employment  and  income-earning  opportunities  and  social services to host communities, and contributing to poverty alleviation.  Association “Forum”
• 1. Develop and promote circular economy and innovative tourism products and services, sharing experiences and information at all levels between institutions, programmes and projects, in particular through the implementation of the provisions of the ICZM Protocol of the Barcelona Convention towards integrated uses of marine and coastal areas and resources;
  2. Plan and manage tourism development as a part of a broader strategic planning framework and ensure that a mix of other sectoral policies is taken into consideration
  with regard to both tourism impact on these sectors and their capacity to support tourism development. That would ensure that tourism stays within the carrying capacity of recipient territories, resources and populations;
  3. Develop a framework of specific indicators for assessing the impact of marine and coastal tourism on destinations and for promoting ecotourism and agritourism in coastal areas, and anchor tourism developments to sustainability indicators and equitable distribution of costs and benefits;
  4. Promote innovative products and services to reduce seasonality and territorial imbalance between coastal and inland areas within the concept of “maximum threshold”;
  5. Ensure solid collective capitalization and dissemination mechanisms across coastal and maritime tourism actors and innovation support programmes, to scale-up environmentally beneficial innovations in maritime and coastal tourism sectors (including cruise and recreational boating);
  6. Support and disseminate labels of sustainable/smart ports and marinas, with monitored and increasingly ambitious standards, and facilitate mainstreaming by working with local governments, local authorities’ networks and port authorities.
  7. idely communicate on sustainability innovation feasible in large and growing sectors (e.g. hotels, cruise…) to impact public demand & expectations.
  8. Promote and take action to implement the measures related to tourism of the SCP Action Plan, e.g. eco-efficiency of tourism activities and the use of environmental management systems (e.g. ISO 14001); destination management model and network of sustainable destinations; local sustainable tourism training; diversification of the tourism offer from mass tourism to alternative forms of tourism (e.g. ecotourism, cultural tourism, rural tourism, off-season tourism); tourism legislation; eco-taxes, eco-charges or fees as an effective instrument to internalize externalities (e.g. tax relief of tourism activities during the low season); Tourism Carrying Capacity Assessment (TCCA) approach as a mandatory analysis for the preparation of national and local tourism planning and for the approval of new tourism investment; tourism eco-labels with robust environmental criteria based on a standards scheme verified by an independent organization (e.g. EU Ecolabel, Green Key, Nordic Swan, etc.); marketing and communication activities focused on promoting the Mediterranean sustainable destinations, etc.  UNEP/MAP Bacelona Convention
• Underwater Gardens International is a company who has designed a business model which combines sustainable tourism, local economic growth, marine and coastal habitats regeneration and marine science research.  Underwater Gardens International
• “To identify, map and promote exemplary projects and good practices of sustainable gastronomic tourism experiences existing in MED regions.Identify destinations that are being stressed with excess tourism and redirect the supply, creating quality niches that reducing the pressure on resources does not take away value from billing.Promote Gastronomic Tourism based on the Mediterranean Cultural Heritage, reinforcing territorial cohesion, as a way of creating new tourist attractions that escape seasonality and boosting areas within countries, rehabilitating knowledge and traditions that are cultural heritage, seeking to decongest the coastal areas that are increasingly in demand.To involve SMEs and other business organisations and centres of entrepreneurship in the creation of these local dynamics, in order to create and promote more knowledge and genuine tourism based on experience (creation of gastronomic, built, environmental heritage routes…)”.   CCDRAlentejo