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National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria and Pomorie with an Active Role in the RECIRCLE MED Project for Sustainable Blue and Circular Tourism

11 February 2026 | Views: 69

An international working meeting under the RECIRCLE MED project – Supporting the Implementation of Blue and Circular Tourism in the Mediterranean – was held in Pomorie and online, with the National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria (NAMRB) and the Municipality of Pomorie participating as project partners. The event was conducted in Bulgarian and English and brought together representatives of local authorities, international partners, experts, tourism sector stakeholders, NGOs, and other interested parties.

The RECIRCLE MED project, funded under the Interreg Euro-MED programme, aims to support coastal tourist destinations in adopting sustainable development models by integrating the principles of the blue and circular economy. A key focus of the project is the transfer of knowledge and tools between partners and host territories, as well as the active involvement of local stakeholders in planning and decision-making processes. A major project outcome is the development and implementation of Blue Circular Tourism Action Plans tailored to the specific characteristics and needs of each destination.

The Mayor of Pomorie, Ivan Aleksiev, as host of the event, welcomed participants and emphasized the importance of the meeting for local development. He noted that tourism is of key importance to the municipality’s economy and is closely linked to coastal activities, fisheries, aquaculture, and the region’s cultural heritage. According to him, participation in RECIRCLE MED provides the municipality with an opportunity to build on existing good practices and to plan tourism development in a sustainable and long-term manner.

The Mayor expressed his appreciation to NAMRB for the joint work on the project and highlighted that the blue economy represents a strategic direction for the future of coastal municipalities, combining economic growth with the protection of marine and coastal environments.

Marusya Tsvetkova, Senior Expert “Institutional Projects” at NAMRB, presented the concept and objectives of RECIRCLE MED, underlining that it effectively combines circular and blue economy models within a unified framework for sustainable municipal development. The project builds upon the results of two established European tools — REBOOT MED, focused on Blue Action Plans, and INCIRCLE, aimed at assessing circular tourism. Their integration into a single framework allows for a more comprehensive and applicable approach to the sustainable management of tourist destinations.

During the meeting, the main objectives at local level were outlined: adapting the tool to the specific needs of Pomorie Municipality; identifying institutional and technical challenges; raising awareness of blue and circular tourism; and actively engaging stakeholders in the co-creation of solutions.

A central part of the programme was the presentation of the RECIRCLE MED Blueprint practical tool by Antonia Koutsopoulou, representative of the project’s lead partner, the University of Thessaly. She emphasized that the tool has been designed as a practical guide for coastal and Mediterranean destinations, responding to the real needs of municipalities such as Pomorie.

In her presentation, Antonia Koutsopoulou подробно outlined the structure and logic of the tool, which is based on a combined circular and blue economy approach. It enables destinations to:

• Assess their current sustainable tourism practices;

• Identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement;

• Develop customized Blue Circular Tourism Action Plans;

• Monitor progress through clear, transparent, and measurable indicators.

The Blueprint tool is structured around seven key pillars — water resources, energy, waste, mobility, environment, cultural heritage, and governance — covering both environmental and socio-economic aspects of tourism. Within these pillars, six change-driving principles are applied: reduce, regenerate, rethink, innovate, reassess, and reinvest.

Special attention was given to the three-stage process of “data – analysis – action,” enabling municipalities to move in a structured way from information gathering to concrete policies and measures. She highlighted the essential role of stakeholders and the importance of collaborative planning based on local characteristics and capacity.

Practical examples of the tool’s application were also presented, including measures to address overtourism in tourist zones and to reduce plastic pollution. Through combined actions in mobility, waste management, environmental protection, and reinvestment of revenues into local infrastructure, destinations can achieve a better balance between economic development and the quality of life of local communities.

During the meeting, Georgi Petkov, Executive Director of the Pomorie Local Action Group, presented the municipality’s experience in implementing blue and circular economy practices. He outlined Pomorie’s socio-economic profile as the third-largest city on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast and highlighted completed and ongoing projects — ranging from energy efficiency measures and sustainable resource management to cultural and tourism initiatives contributing to the diversification of the tourist offer and the extension of the tourism season.

The meeting concluded with a discussion and an interactive survey, providing immediate feedback on participants’ understanding of the project and the applicability of the presented tools. Pomorie Municipality has already entered an active implementation phase, inputting its data into the Blueprint tool and preparing the next steps for developing concrete local measures for sustainable blue and circular tourism.

More information about the project is available on the official website:
https://recirclemed.interreg-euro-med.eu/