EcoMedIslands at the GTI Academy webinar on circular tourism

EcoMedIslands joined the GTI Academy webinar on circular tourism. The discussion explored how technology, public policy and investment can help island destinations turn circular ambitions into practical action.

For Mediterranean islands, tourism and waste management are closely connected. The webinar offered an opportunity to reflect on the conditions that help destinations manage resources more effectively.

Technology that supports better decisions

Chrysostomos Adamidis highlighted a clear message: measurement alone is not enough. Islands need more than sensors. They need technology that helps them understand information and make better decisions.

This applies directly to waste management. Collecting data has limited value unless island authorities and local actors can use it to guide their actions.

For example, useful information can help teams understand waste patterns and identify where services need improvement. However, the goal goes beyond monitoring. It is about turning knowledge into practical changes that respond to local needs.

Circular tourism needs support beyond individual businesses

Maria Garcies highlighted another essential part of the discussion. Circular tourism cannot depend on individual operators or destinations acting alone.

Instead, it needs supportive public policy, real investment and access to data. It also needs ways to sustain successful approaches and replicate them elsewhere.

These conditions matter for circular waste management on islands too. Local efforts need wider support to move beyond isolated activities and create lasting change.

Moreover, sharing experience can help island territories learn from one another. Understanding what works, and under which conditions, makes that exchange more useful.

EcoMedIslands circular tourism: From policy to practice

The discussion reflects the gap that EcoMedIslands is working to close. The project helps Mediterranean island territories move from treating waste as a burden towards recognising its value as a resource.

This transition requires connections between information, decisions and implementation. Technology can support the process, while policy and investment help create the conditions for action.

The webinar reinforced the importance of bringing these elements together. Better measurement is a starting point. Lasting progress depends on how territories use that knowledge and support practical solutions.

Learn more about the [EcoMedIslands project] and its work on circular waste management in Mediterranean island territories.

For wider context, explore the European Commission’s waste and recycling resources.

From waste as a burden to waste as a resource. From policy to practice.