A Regional Initiative for Sustainable Coastal and Maritime Tourism Development

Welcome

Welcome to the Regional Monitoring Centre for Coastal and Maritime Tourism in the Eastern Mediterranean (RMCMED) — a regional initiative established by the Ministry of Tourism of Greece under the auspices of UN Tourism (the World Tourism Organization).

RMCMED was established to address a shared challenge facing all countries of the Eastern Mediterranean: while coastal and maritime tourism is a key driver of economic growth and an integral part of our region's cultural identity, it also places continuous pressure on fragile coastal zones, marine ecosystems, and the local communities that depend on them. Effective policymaking requires reliable evidence—and reliable evidence depends on a common methodology, comparable data, and sustained cooperation among the countries that share this maritime basin.

Our Mission in One Sentence

To measure, monitor, and assess the sustainability of coastal and maritime tourism in the Eastern Mediterranean by providing reliable data and evidence-based knowledge to policymakers, destinations, the research community, and tourism stakeholders.

What You Will Find on This Website

About — Information on the Centre's mission, governance framework, legal foundation, and institutional relationship with UN Tourism and the Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism (MST) Statistical Framework.

Metrics — The thematic areas and indicators that comprise the Centre's monitoring framework, covering the three dimensions of sustainability: economic, social, and environmental.

Partner Countries — The national administrations participating in the network, contributing data, expertise, and local knowledge to the shared framework for cooperation.

Publications — The methodological framework, studies, and reports produced by the Centre and its partner institutions.

News — Updates on local consultations, technical meetings, and ministerial initiatives undertaken within the framework of the network.

A Collaborative Network, Not a Standalone Institution

RMCMED is a collaborative network. The Joint Declaration, signed in Messinia on 7 October 2024, brought together the Ministers of Tourism—and representatives of the Ministers of Tourism—of Albania, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, and Montenegro, who jointly endorsed the establishment of the Centre and committed to advancing a shared agenda based on measurement, monitoring, and evidence-informed policymaking.

The Centre operates within the Ministry of Tourism of Greece, under the Directorate of Research, and is established under Law 5061/2023 (Article 5). It also works in close cooperation with UN Tourism pursuant to a Memorandum of Understanding signed in June 2021 and renewed in June 2024.

We invite ministries, national tourism organizations, regional and local authorities, research institutions, professional associations, and civil society organizations to actively participate in the work of the Centre and contribute to shaping a shared, evidence-based, and sustainable future for coastal and maritime tourism in the Eastern Mediterranean.