The Arab Network for Environment and Development (RAED) took part in the regional workshop organized by the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation (IUCN-Med), with the support of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), under the title “Sustainable Tourism and Ecotourism.” The workshop was hosted in Tunis, the capital of Tunisia, from 23 to 25 June 2025, as part of the Mubadarat training programme focused on empowering civil society organizations (CSOs) across the Mediterranean.

This participation reflects RAED’s continued efforts to promote sustainable development principles in Egypt and the Arab region, particularly in integrating Nature-based Solutions (NbS) within vital sectors such as tourism. Such approaches contribute to achieving a balance between conserving natural resources and supporting the development of local communities.

The workshop gathered 43 participants representing CSOs from six Mediterranean countries: Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Lebanon and Libya. It featured interactive sessions, field visits and hands-on training on planning sustainable tourism initiatives, sharing best practices in local governance, visitor management and linking local communities to economic opportunities through ecotourism.

During its participation, RAED highlighted the importance of adopting participatory approaches in developing ecotourism, especially given Egypt’s unique natural and cultural assets that position it as a regional leader in this sector. Areas such as Fayoum, Saint Catherine, Siwa and the Red Sea, where RAED is actively involved in small-scale community-based sustainability projects, offer strong potential for integrated, sustainable tourism models.

The first day of the workshop featured theoretical sessions led by international experts, addressing the core principles of sustainable tourism, challenges facing ecotourism in the Mediterranean and strategies for integrating local communities into tourism value chains. Successful examples from previously implemented community tourism projects under the Mubadarat programme were also presented.

The second day included two notable field visits: to Ichkeul National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Ghar El Melh, a Ramsar-designated protected wetland. These visits offered participants valuable insights into best practices in managing protected areas and promoting ecotourism while conserving biodiversity and creating sustainable economic opportunities for local populations, all without harming fragile ecosystems.

RAED actively contributed to the third day’s sessions, which were dedicated to co-developing initial project concepts for NbS-based tourism initiatives. Participants applied participatory planning tools and results-oriented design methodologies, with an emphasis on gender inclusion and youth engagement.

RAED’s involvement in this event underscores its ongoing commitment to supporting sustainable development pathways in Egypt and the Arab region through community capacity building, mainstreaming environmental considerations into economic activities and promoting tourism practices that ensure harmony between people and nature.