Greece assumes a leading role in the Eastern Mediterranean region in terms of monitoring the impact of tourism on the coastal and marine area.

The World Tourism Organization, tourism ministers, representatives from Mediterranean countries, as well as representatives of local government and research community.

This is an international initiative of the Ministry of Tourism to measure and monitor sustainable tourism development, with an emphasis on the coastal areas of the Eastern Mediterranean, which is under the auspices of the World Tourism Organization, with which our country has signed a Memorandum of Cooperation.

Italy, Israel, Malta, Montenegro, Spain, Morocco, Croatia, Egypt, Algeria, Cyprus, Albania, Lebanon participate in the network, while Bulgaria, Portugal and Romania participate with observer status.

The Minister of Tourism, Olga Kefalogianni, during the work of the Synod, presented the actions of the Ministry of Tourism so far that resulted in the completion of this important initiative.

Mrs. Kefalogianni, on the occasion of the launch of the Observatory, stated:

“Coastal and maritime tourism is one of the most important assets for sustainable development in the Mediterranean basin. The Observatory of Coastal and Marine Tourism aims to collect and analyze research data for the sustainable development of tourism, ensuring the diffusion of opportunities in the local communities of coastal areas and protecting the natural and cultural heritage.

The representative of the World Tourism Organization, Cordula Wohlmuther, welcomed Greece’s leading initiative, as she described it, and emphasized the Organization’s full support for the Observatory, underlining that “it is an important step towards sustainable tourism development in the region, but also beyond , as it can be a model for coastal and maritime destinations at an international level”.

The representatives of the countries adopted a joint declaration of support for the initiative and its common principles.