5 October 2017 MARINA International Mobilisation and Mutual Learning Workshop Galway, Ireland

"Explore the Development of Sustainable Tourism Opportunities within Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) through Responsible Research and Innovation" is the topic of next MARINA workshop to be held in Galway, organized by our partner Smartbay, which open the new MARINA MML workshop for months to come. Developing sustainable nature based tourism products and experiences can aid biodiversity protection, while offering local communities opportunities for social and economic benefit. However, to be effective, each enterprise requires appropriate knowledge, skills, abilities,   and   institutional   arrangements   to   define   and   solve   problems,   and   employ   legitimate participatory processes that support cooperation and afford stakeholders influence and benefit for their involvement. MPAs as “a clearly defined geographical space, recognised, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values” The challenge is to achieve balance in the development of sustainable tourism products and services while ensuring that the MPA’s objectives of protecting the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values. boat-in-caribbean-14884763094mz

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What actions are needed from a policy, social / cultural, economic, technological perspective to develop sustainable tourism ventures within Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)? You want to use your creative mind to develop solutions that best serve individual citizens, your local community and the European society at large. You want to make sure that your needs and expectations are taken into account when local, national and European decisions and innovations are being developed. GET STARTED! FOLLOW OUR WORKSHOP AND SHARE YOUR IDEAS ON LINE The workshop is organised by SmartBay Ireland and the Cyprus Neuroscience and Technology Institute using the Structured Democratic Dialogue methodology. It will involve citizens, scientists, business representatives, entrepreneurs, local authorities and policy makers in an open dialogue. Together, you will define a common vision and a roadmap of solutions and actions to face this challenge. The results, together with the outcomes of the other MARINA workshops in Europe, will be freely accessible on the MARINA Web Knowledge Sharing Platform, used for identifying lessons learned and best practices and disseminated at European policy conferences. Contacts Niamh Flavin, niamh.flavin@smartbay.ie, SmartBay Ireland Location Harbour Hotel, New Docks, Galway, Ireland,