The NaTour4CChange project joined the Global Ecotourism Forum 2025, held 22 to 24 October 2025 in Món Sant Benet, Sant Fruitós de Bages, Catalonia, Spain. Hosted by the Generalitat de Catalunya, the Forum brought together institutions, experts and initiatives from across the world to discuss sustainable and regenerative tourism. NaTour4CChange contributed with a side event and a transnational workshop, sharing regional climate action plans, governance approaches and practical examples of nature based solutions while also holding the Project Partners’ Steering Committee.
Day 1: Project’s Steering Committee and shared reflections
While the wider Forum opened its discussions, the NaTour4CChange consortium dedicated the first day to its Steering Committee meeting, held in parallel to the main GEF programme. The session provided space to review progress across the Work Packages, discuss upcoming deliverables and exchange views on shared challenges from each participating region.
Day 2: Joint session on Ecotourism Governance and Climate Action in Mediterranean Regions
On the second day, NaTour4CChange, together with the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR) Intermediterranean Commission, co-organised the side event “Ecotourism Governance and Climate Action in Mediterranean Regions”, within the official Global Ecotourism Forum programme.
The event brought together Mediterranean partners, regional institutions and experts in ecotourism governance. Opening remarks by Anna Estella and Xavier Font Urgell from the Generalitat de Catalunya set a tone of collaboration and shared purpose. Presentations by Arnau Teixidor (IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation) and Flora Leroy Djouadi (CPMR) highlighted the value of coordinated regional action through the Mediterranean Ecotourism Consortium (MEC) and the MEET model, developed under the DestiMED PLUS project.
The following discussion, moderated by Jordi Juarez, included insights from Irini Barianaki (South Aegean Region) and an interactive Q&A session that addressed practical aspects of governance, stakeholder engagement and capacity-building at regional level.
The second part of the event, “Taking Climate Action Through Nature-Based Solutions”, was dedicated to NaTour4CChange and served as the project’s 2nd Transnational Exchange Workshop. Partners from Andalusia, Zadar County, Sardinia, Neretva Canton and Crete presented their Regional Climate Action Plans, showcasing different approaches to translating vulnerability assessments into concrete adaptation and mitigation strategies.
A peer-exchange session, with contributions from Irini Barianaki (South Aegean Region), Mariona Salvatella (Catalan Tourist Board) and Jaume Mata (Visit València), encouraged an open dialogue on transferable practices, gaps and opportunities for scaling up regional solutions.
The day concluded with an interactive World Café and closing remarks by Flora Leroy Djouadi (CPMR) and Marina Xenophontos (European Commission, Directorate-General for the Environment), underlining the importance of integrated tourism governance and coherent policy frameworks at EU and regional levels.
Shared learning and cooperation for the Mediterranean
The joint session reaffirmed the commitment of Mediterranean regions to work together for climate-smart, inclusive and nature-connected tourism. By integrating governance mechanisms with local action and by promoting Nature-based Solutions, projects like NaTour4CChange and initiatives such as the MEC contribute to a more resilient and cooperative Mediterranean model.
The NaTour4CChange team warmly thanks the Generalitat de Catalunya for hostingand all participants for their active engagement during these days of shared learning and collaboration.
