Deborah Rezzoagli

In 1995, the Barcelona Declaration launched the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership with the objective to create an area of peace, shared prosperity, and human and cultural exchanges. Since then, much has been achieved in the cultural, academic and civil society cooperation but there is still much to do at economic and political level, even though these sectors were considered strategic and top priorities. Even if we have abandoned ambitious initiatives such as the “free trade area”, the recent announcement of a “New agenda for the Mediterranean” is a concrete proof that a strengthened Mediterranean partnership remains a strategic imperative for European countries. Amongst the economic sectors we should pay more attention to in this renewed framework, there should surely be tourism for its potential of leading a positive transformation and impact on the Mediterranean most urgent and strategic challenges such as: climate change, biodiversity protection and innovation and competitiveness. Besides, we have learned from the experience of the Sustainable Tourism Community, and not only, that a bottom-up political and governance approach aiming at promoting more sustainable tourist models and practices can trigger virtuous social and economic integration processes; as well as strengthen the cultural cooperation amongst Euro-Mediterranean communities that takes into account each other specificities, exigencies and sensibilities.

From the contribution of a network association of municipalities, a UN agency specialised in Environmental Protection and an association as well as the experience of a managing authority we will better understand how transnational and international cooperation programs can contribute to make tourism become a real driver for economic and cultural development and, ultimately, to shape the future “Mediterranean Generation”.