The European Conference of Sustainable Tourism marks CSTI’s 20th anniversary in Cyprus with a clear warning that climate and environmental risks are intensifying for Mediterranean tourism.

The event, commemorating CSTI’s two decades, is held under Cyprus’s EU presidency and expects more than 300 participants from Europe and beyond.

Delegates include representatives from UN Tourism, the IUCN European regional office, easyJet Holidays, and Hermes Airports, underscoring broad international participation.

Industrial initiatives will be showcased, including plastic reduction programs in Cyprus and Greece presented by TUI Care Foundation’s Helen Caron.

EU and national leaders advocate a shift from volume to value, prioritizing higher-quality experiences over sheer visitor numbers.

Local authorities and companies express commitment to sustainability, from Larnaca’s mayor to Hermes Airports’ CFO and St. Raphael Resort & Marina’s ambition to be a leading sustainable hotel on the island.

The conference aims to move from commitments to tangible implementation, addressing climate change, environmental degradation, and infrastructure strain in tourism.

Public awareness and activist efforts—beach cleanups, plastic-free campaigns, waste-mapping apps, and social media outreach—trace CSTI’s cultural shift toward responsible practices.

Academic and industry voices converge, with Dr. Christina Anagnostopoulou discussing climate data and Mediterranean resilience, and Jeremy Sampson calling for structural changes to finance resilience in tourism.

Key speakers stress transforming tourism for good by linking finance to resilience and moving beyond surface-level sustainability.

The program blends academic, policy, and industry perspectives through keynote talks and two roundtables on turning sustainability goals into practical action.

Roundtables will explore local, Mediterranean, and European resilience and public-private cooperation, featuring deputy tourism ministers Kostas Koumis and Anna Karamanli alongside local officials and industry players.