The ecoRoute project was featured in a dedicated session at the international conference “New Challenges for Underwater Nature and Cultural Heritage Tourism during the Ocean Decade”, held at Le Cube in Aix-en-Provence, France, from 29 January to 1 February 2026.
The conference was organized by the UNESCO UNITWIN Network for Underwater Archaeology, the UNESCO Chair in Maritime and Coastal Archaeology (MoMArch – Aix-Marseille University), and the UNESCO 2001 Convention Secretariat. Bringing together over 250 participants, the event provided a platform for exchanging knowledge and experiences on the management, preservation, and promotion of coastal and Underwater Cultural Heritage as well as the protection of marine ecosystems and biodiversity.
Discussions focused on enhancing public accessibility to underwater heritage through sustainable tourism initiatives, while addressing major global challenges such as climate change, the adoption of green and sustainable practices, and the role of technological innovation in heritage management within the framework of the UN Ocean Decade.
ecoRoute Special Session
On Friday, 30 January 2026, the second day of the conference, ecoRoute hosted a special session titled: “Smart, green and sustainable underwater cultural and nature tourism in the Outermost Regions of Europe: The ecoRoute approach.”
The session sustainable tourism practices and policy pathways to support the development of smart underwater cultural and nature tourism in Europe’s Outermost Regions. Discussions highlighted the importance of green innovation, stakeholder engagement, and integrated management approaches in promoting sustainable tourism models.
During the session, partners presented the ecoRoute approach, including local interventions and the development of multi-destination eco-tourism models. Presentations included:
- Eco-innovation for Smart Underwater Cultural and Nature Tourism: The ecoRoute paradigm in Europe’s Outermost Regions, by Polyvios Raxis, ecoRoute Project Coordinator.
- ecoRoute Azores – Linking Underwater Heritage, Science and Community for Regenerative Tourism, by José Bettencourt.
- ecoRoute in Madeira – A Holistic Approach to the Symbiosis of Underwater Heritage in Funchal, by Marco Freitas.
- The BluePEF Calculator: An innovative application for assessing the environmental impact of diving activities, by Jafar Anbar and Kalliopi Baika.
In addition, during the session “Ocean Decade Legal Frameworks”, Beatriz Mano and Pedro Rosa presented the Roadmap for the Uptake of ecoRoute Outputs: Advancing Sustainable Underwater Cultural and Natural Heritage Tourism during the Ocean Decade.
Learn more about the conference:
https://unescochair-mca.org/international-conference-new-challenges-for-uw-nature-and-cultural-heritage-tourism-during-the-ocean-decade/
See highlights of the ecoRoute session below.
