Blue economy roadmap: advancing marine and coastal eco-practices in Egypt

This document presents a stakeholder-driven roadmap to promote coastal and marine ecotourism in Egypt as part of the national strategy for a blue economy. Developed under the EU-funded SwitchMed II project, the roadmap provides a thorough assessment of the status, challenges and opportunities of ecotourism along Egypt’s Mediterranean and Red Sea coasts. The roadmap serves several purposes, including aligning with the national blue economy framework, defining the Ministry of Environment’s priorities in the field of coastal and marine ecotourism, creating synergies with line ministries, addressing sectoral challenges and capitalising on existing initiatives. The roadmap also builds on previous cooperation under the SwitchMed project to promote sustainable consumption and production (SCP) and supports Egypt’s transition to a circular economy. Drawing on the participatory approach and strategic objectives of the 2015 “Egypt Action Plan for Sustainable Consumption and Production” (SCP NAP), the roadmap identifies key drivers, cross-sectoral policies and regulatory frameworks, and highlights strategic interventions that focus on conservation, sustainable infrastructure development, climate change resilience and community empowerment.