BEACH-SOS Stakeholder Meetings in Saulkrasti - Building a Common Understanding of Coastal Tourism and Climate Challenges

02 February 2024

The INTERREG-Baltic BEACH-SOS project, which aims to assess the impact of climate change on the Baltic Sea coast, held a series of meetings in Saulkrasti, Latvia, from 22 to 24 January.

The workshop brought together local authorities, businesses and communities to discuss the challenges facing Baltic Sea coastal tourism and to develop sustainable solutions for the future. During the meeting with the representatives of Saulkrasti Municipality, the project team shared the objectives and activities of the project and learned about their views and responsibilities regarding coastal management.

The team also engaged with various stakeholders from the public and private sectors, such as tourism operators, fishermen, environmentalists and residents, to explore their visions and preferences for the future of the coast and tourism in 2030 and 2050.

The final session was a creative session with a group of schoolchildren from Seja Primary School, who expressed their opinions and concerns about climate change through AI images of the coast.

The meetings successfully raised awareness of climate change and promoted dialogue between the different stakeholders in the coastal zone, with more than 50 people taking part. But this is only the beginning of the dialogue between coastal communities and authorities.

A series of workshops and events are planned in Germany and Denmark as part of the BEACH-SOS project. The project aims to have a regional impact on improving the sustainability of the coastal tourism sector in the face of climate change. The upcoming workshops and events will further engage stakeholders, share best practices and develop concrete strategies to mitigate the impacts of climate change on coastal areas and tourism activities.

The BEACH-SOS Team, January 2024