Sustainable Tourism Technical Group advances Roadmap and project concepts

On 1 October 2026, the CMA Technical Group on Sustainable Tourism met in Burgas to refine its draft Roadmap and shape project directions for 2027. Facilitated by the National Hubs of Türkiye and Georgia, the session focused on strengthening the group’s long‑term sustainability, with members agreeing to propose opening a call for additional experts to broaden regional representation. Discussions advanced two core pillars of the Roadmap: under Pillar 2, Turkish and Bulgarian experts committed to jointly developing a Black Sea underwater cultural heritage database, formalising cooperation and beginning data compilation; under Pillar 1, the group revisited the Blue Route/Blue Corridor concept, with the Türkiye Ministry of Culture and Tourism to confirm its leadership. Participants also explored funding opportunities and reviewed insights from the Horizon Europe TOURAL project, noting synergies with the group’s emerging concepts. The meeting concluded with agreement on next steps toward finalising the Roadmap and preparing project concepts for submission to the Steering Group.