Sun&Blue Congress presents the scientific program of its second edition at a working day in CEOE

Sun&Blue Congress, the first international congress of Tourism and Blue Economy has presented in Madrid the scientific program of its second edition, which will be held from 20 to 22 November at the Palacio de Exposiciones y Congresos 'Cabo de Gata - Ciudad de Almería'. The place chosen for the occasion has been the headquarters of the Spanish Confederation of Business Organizations (CEOE) where the Advisory Board and the Technical Committee of the congress have held a working day.

The meeting was led by Tim Ott, CEO of Sun&Blue Congress; Yolanda de Aguilar, Secretary General for Tourism of Andalusia; José Enrique Millo, Secretary General for External Action, European Union and Cooperation of Andalusia; María del Mar Vázquez, Mayor of Almería and President of the Advisory Council of the congress, Inmaculada de Benito, Director of the Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport in CEOE.

During his speech, Tim Ott confirmed that internationalization is the great challenge of this second edition: “we have set ourselves the goal of tripling the number of attendees from outside Spain, surpassing the 21 participating countries of 2023, in addition to having five international Keynote Speakers”.

Another novelty is that "we will double the number of parallel events" compared to the first edition. Of the 12 confirmed, eight are of an international nature with entities or projects such as WestMED Initiative, Interreg Euro-MED Sustainable Tourism Mission, CPMR-Intermediterranean Commission, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Network of European Regions for Sustainable and Competitive Tourism (NECSTouR), Association of the Mediterranean Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASCAME) or X23 - The Innovation Bakery.

The content of the scientific program of this new edition offers a comprehensive perspective on the latest trends, technologies and sustainable practices in tourism. “We bring experts from around the world, who will focus their interventions around the nine verticals of Technology, Energy, Financing, Islands and Territories, Coasts and Beaches, Ports and Maritime Industry, Hospitality, Culture and Gastronomy, and Sport. In short, top level Keynote Speakers, round tables, networking, exchange of best practices and workshops where the three key players of Tourism and Blue Economy will always participate: private companies, public institutions and the scientific community”.

Yolanda de Aguilar, general secretary for Tourism of the Junta de Andalucía stated that Sun&Blue Congress is “key for the future of tourism and the blue economy in particular” as she considers “an obligation” to think about the future of our coastline in terms of sustainability. “It is the European event of reference in Blue Tourism for the quality of the contents of its program, the level of the panelists it manages to bring together and the depth of its presentations. And for the importance of the area where it focuses: the blue economy”. 

José Enrique Millo, Secretary General for External Action, European Union and Cooperation of the Junta de Andalucía, referred to the importance of the Blue Economy for Andalusia and highlighted the international projection it brings. He also recalled that Andalusia is “the only region in Europe that joins two seas”, the Atlantic and the Mediterranean.

María del Mar Vázquez, mayoress of Almería and president of the Advisory Council of the congress made a nod to the first edition describing it as “gratifying and exciting” and predicted success for this one since “Sun&Blue Congress is already a reference in Europe”. Vázquez announced during his speech that the Blue Economy should become the second economic sector of Almería after agriculture.

The director of Tourism, Culture and Sport of CEOE, Inmaculada de Benito, highlighted the important role of Sun&Blue Congress in the valorization of the blue economy, describing it as “essential for the development of Spain and our economic engine: tourism”. She added that this Congress is an opportunity for the business fabric to share its knowledge with civil society and public administration, highlighting the efforts of tourism companies in the blue economy to maintain the sustainable balance of tourism in three dimensions: environmental, social and economic.

Sun&Blue 2024 Program

Sun&Blue Congress 2024 structures its program around the nine verticals of Ports and Maritime Industry, Islands and Territories, Coasts and Beaches, Technology, Energy, Financing, Sports, Culture and Gastronomy, and Hospitality. These topics will be addressed in Keynotes Speakers format (keynote speeches), panel discussions and workshops, taking place in a total of three rooms.

The first day of the congress will include the opening ceremony; keynote speeches by Gunter Pauli, creator of the “Blue Economy” concept, and Paul Holthus, president and CEO of the World Ocean Council (WOC); four panel discussions on Technology; and another four on Ports and Maritime Industry. The Welcome Party will be held on the same day.

For the second day, twelve round tables are expected to address the topics of Energy, Islands and Territories, Coasts and Beaches, and Culture and Gastronomy, in addition to the presentation of the Blue Economy Strategy of Andalusia. The keynote address of the day will be given by Nacho Dean, naturalist, professional explorer and disseminator, and ambassador of the second edition of Sun&Blue Congress. In the evening, the congress gala dinner and the Sun&Blue 2024 Awards Ceremony are scheduled.

The third and final day will focus on the verticals of Finance, Hospitality and Sport with a total of nine round tables; a special session where the main European entities will discuss the present and future of Blue Tourism; the participation of the Keynote Speaker, Olivia Mandle, environmental and animal rights activist and ambassador of the European Climate Pact of the European Commission.

In addition, Sun&Blue Congress will have an exhibition area where companies in the sector will be present to showcase their latest services and products and an area for scientific dissemination. There will also be a networking space and an area where organizations and associations will hold parallel events.

In total, Sun&Blue Congress will occupy the 7,200 square meters of surface available at the Palacio de Exposiciones y Congresos de Almería.

S&B Beaches, the preview

As a preamble to the inauguration of the II Edition of Sun&Blue Congress, on November 19, the I International Forum of Beach Managers will take place with the aim of exchanging knowledge, successful experiences and different topics of interest for public managers of the coast of Spain. The event will also be held at the Palacio de Exposiciones y Congresos 'Cabo de Gata - Ciudad de Almería'.

During the meeting will take place the constitution of the “Association of Spanish Public Beach Managers” (AGEPP). An entity that will fill an existing gap in Spain of representation before public and private institutions, providing legal tools, regulations, funding and technical resources for a group of key importance in Blue Tourism.