Greece is taking a leading role in the Eastern Mediterranean region in monitoring the impact of tourism on the coastal and marine environment.
A special event for the launch of the Coastal and Marine Tourism Observatory in the Eastern Mediterranean, organized by the Ministry of Tourism in Costa Navarino, was attended by the World Tourism Organization, Ministers of Tourism, representatives from Mediterranean countries, as well as representatives of local authorities and the research community. This is an international initiative of the Ministry of Tourism to measure and monitor sustainable tourism development with emphasis on the coastal areas of the Eastern Mediterranean, under the auspices of the World Tourism Organization, with which our country has signed a Memorandum of Cooperation. The network includes Italy, Israel, Malta, Montenegro, Spain, Morocco, Croatia, Egypt, Algeria, Algeria, Cyprus, Albania, Lebanon and Spain, while Bulgaria, Portugal and Romania participate as observers.
The Minister of Tourism, Olga Kefalogianni, during the proceedings of the meeting, presented the actions taken by the Ministry of Tourism so far, which resulted in the completion of this important initiative.
On the occasion of the launch of the Observatory, Mrs Olga Kefalogianni said: “Coastal and marine tourism is one of the most important assets for sustainable development in the Mediterranean basin. The Coastal and Marine Tourism Observatory aims to collect and analyse research data for the sustainable development of tourism, ensuring the dissemination of opportunities to local communities in coastal areas and protecting the natural and cultural heritage.” The representative of the World Tourism Organization, Ms Cordula Wohlmuther, welcomed what she described as Greece’s leading initiative and stressed the Organization’s full support to the Observatory, underlining that “it is an important step towards sustainable tourism development in the region and beyond, as it can serve as a model for coastal and marine destinations at international level”. The countries’ representatives adopted a joint statement of support for the initiative and its common principles.
