The MED Sustainable Tourism Convention 2026, organised by the Barcelona Provincial Council in collaboration with the Community4Tourism partnership in the framework of the Mediterranean Sustainable Tourism Community, took place in Barcelona on 18–19 June 2026.
Under the theme “Tourism transition in the Mediterranean”, the third edition of the Convention wanted to foster a strategic debate on new tourism agendas, climate change, resource management, digitalisation, circular and regenerative economy approaches, as well as the role of Mediterranean cooperation in the transition towards more sustainable, resilient and inclusive tourism models. The Convention also provided a platform to showcase the solutions and knowledge generated by the projects of the Mediterranean Sustainable Tourism Community.
The event was hosted by the Barcelona Centre of Contemporary Culture and brought together around 250 tourism stakeholders, including policy-makers, public authorities, experts, researchers and key actors from the Mediterranean tourism ecosystem.
Andrea Di Girolamo, AIE Project Officer, took part in the conference as facilitator of the session entitled “Smart and Data-Driven Tourism Management”.
During the Convention, four Thematic Papers focusing on circular economy, climate change adaptation, biodiversity and natural resources, and innovation and technological capacities were officially launched and presented. The Thematic Papers are the result of work carried out by the 22 projects of the Sustainable Tourism Mission in collaboration with experts in the relevant fields. Although they are not policy recommendation documents, the papers make a valuable contribution to future policy development on topics related to and intersecting with sustainable tourism.
Preview all of the Thematic Papers:
– Smart and Data-Driven Destination Management for Sustainable Tourism in the Mediterranean
– Supporting Tourism Micro-enterprises and SMEs in their Transition to Circular Economy Practices
– Climate resilience in tourism coastal destinations: solutions from Nature and Cultural Heritage
– Beyond Projects: Institutionalizing Biodiversity and Sustainable Tourism Practices in the Mediterranean
Here you can find more info and a photogallery of the MED Sustainable Tourism Convention 2026.
