Greece Leads New Coastal and Maritime Tourism Observatory in East Med

Greece is taking a leading role in the Eastern Mediterranean for monitoring tourism’s impact on coastal and marine areas, the Greek Tourism Ministry announced on Monday.

The announcement follows the launch of the Eastern Mediterranean Coastal and Maritime Tourism Observatory in Greece, held during a special event at Costa Navarino. The event was attended by representatives from the World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism), tourism ministers from Mediterranean countries, local government officials, and members of the research community.

As part of this initiative, Greece’s Tourism Ministry had signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with UN Tourism, setting in motion the creation of an observatory to measure and monitor sustainable tourism development in the region’s coastal areas. The project operates under the auspices of UN Tourism.

During Monday’s meeting, Minister Olga Kefalogianni outlined the Greek Tourism Ministry’s actions leading to the completion of the significant initiative.

“Coastal and maritime tourism is one of the Mediterranean basin’s most important assets for sustainable development,” said Minister Kefalogianni on the occasion of the observatory’s launch.

“The Coastal and Maritime Tourism Observatory aims to collect and analyze data that will support sustainable tourism development, enabling opportunities for local communities in coastal areas while safeguarding their natural and cultural heritage,” she added.

Countries participating in the network include Italy, Israel, Malta, Montenegro, Spain, Morocco, Croatia, Egypt, Algeria, Cyprus, Albania, and Lebanon, with Bulgaria, Portugal, and Romania taking part as observers.

Cordula Wohlmuther, the UN Tourism’s representative, welcomed Greece’s leadership on this initiative and emphasized the organization’s support for the observatory.

“This is an important step towards sustainable tourism development, not only in the region but globally, as it provides a model for coastal and maritime destinations worldwide,” Wohlmuther said.

The representatives of the countries participating in Monday’s meeting adopted a joint declaration of support for the initiative and its common principles.