On May 14-15, 2025, Elafonisos Eco participated in the BeMed Annual Meeting in Larnaca, Cyprus, organized by Beyond Plastic Med (BeMed) in collaboration with the Cyprus Sustainable Tourism Initiative (CSTI). The event gathered organizations from across the Mediterranean to exchange ideas and strategies for reducing plastic pollution.
The meeting was held at Lordos Hotel, a CSTI partner known for its efforts to minimize single-use plastics. This setting served as a real-life example of sustainable tourism in action. Participants took part in workshops exploring how BeMed’s hotel-focused methodology could be adapted to other sectors, municipalities, schools, festivals, and cruise ships, with attention to each country’s cultural and legal context.
One key highlight was the visit to Ayia Napa’s “Plastic Free Beach”, an initiative that combines education, infrastructure, and community involvement to protect the coastline. Meanwhile, Elafonisos Eco also attended the Blue Limassol Forum, where experts and officials discussed inclusive approaches to coastal development and marine protection.
This event reinforced the importance of collaboration, innovation, and local action in tackling plastic pollution. Elafonisos Eco returns inspired and committed to continuing this work at the local and regional level.