Re-branding Mediterranean beaches to foster Posidonia-friendly tourism
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Last November, a workshop coordinated by IUCN-Med in the framework of POSBEMED 2 in Mallorca (Spain) offered regional governments, municipalities and key tourism actors from 8 Mediterranean countries the opportunity to co-design marketing strategies and solutions for the promotion of beaches that consciously preserve Posidonia oceanica.
During this Idea-Factory workshop, participants were equipped with a variety of hands-on approaches in order to explore destination management and marketing strategies used in nature-oriented coastal tourism, allowing to develop personalised solutions that fit different contexts across the Mediterranean. The workshop gathered more than 60 participants and included a field visit to different beaches with Posidonia on the island of Mallorca, to enable discussions on tourism-oriented management practises and management of Posidonia oceanica with local municipalities.
Gaining further support through a joint Charter of Commitment
Aiming to sustain the efforts to manage Posidonia sustainably beyond the project’s lifetime and to gain as much support as possible from the entire Mediterranean region, the partnership is working to develop a Charter of Commitment for Beaches with Posidonia, which is one of the main outputs of POSBEMED 2. During this meeting, the project partners analysed the commitments and key values of environmentally friendly beaches.
Coordinated by the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation, the events in Mallorca enjoyed the participation of stakeholders from public administrations, as well as tourism, environmental and MPA managers from Baleares, Valencia, Sardinia, Corsica, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Montenegro, Cyprus, Attika, Macedonia and Crete.
Prior to the workshop, the collaborating POSBEMED2 partnering institutions held a long-awaited physical Steering Committee Meeting on the 14th of November.
POSBEMED 2 develops planning strategies that enhance the value of the Posidonia beach-dune environment and integrate them into the overall coastal strategy, while also addressing concerns and educating stakeholders, based on findings of the previous project (POSBEMED). Furthermore, POSBEMED 2 addresses key knowledge gaps, providing information that will enhance management decisions on adaptation, policies, planning and promotion in Protected Areas.
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