Regenerative tourism and sustainable tourism, while closely related, have distinct approaches and goals.
Sustainable tourism focuses on minimising the negative impacts of tourism on the environment, society, and economy, so that tourism can continue without causing long-term damage.
In contrast, regenerative tourism goes beyond sustainability by actively seeking to restore and rejuvenate the environment and communities affected by tourism. It emphasises that tourism can have a positive impact on natural and social systems, acting as a catalyst to positive change.
Based on our continuous engagement in this field, SeaCras was featured in WAVE’s report as following the best practices regarding the implementation of regenerative tourism. We were also invited by the Fondation Prince Albert II de Monaco, FII Institute, and Red Sea Global to participate in a curated event at the Blue Economy and Finance Forum in Monaco, part of the 2025 UN Ocean Conference 3 — UNOC3.
Founded by Her Royal Highness Princess Reema Bandar Al-Saud, WAVE is Catmosphere Foundation’s Collective Action Platform dedicated to restoring oceans by 2050. Powered by the Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute, and in partnership with the Ministry of Energy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, WAVE makes efforts towards the ambitious but achievable goal of ocean regeneration within a human generation.
The same thing goes for our company. Since its launch, SeaCras has partnered with many coastal communities, NGOs, local and regional governments, and pioneers in regenerative tourism companies across two continents, driving significant positive impact. This includes funding the restoration of marine areas, and generating over $1 million in revenue for local communities.
Here are ways we’re helping shape regenerative tourism:
I. We’re part of the ‘Mission Restore Our Ocean and Waters’ Charter through our ‘We make the blue economy sustainable and transparent’ campaign, which leverages our AI-satellite technology to provide critical data and insights on sea health, while also monitoring and reporting pollution incidents throughout the world.
Some of the findings will be featured in the UN Ocean Prediction Atlas to help drive community engagement in conservation and restoration efforts, while also supporting open data and open science principles.
III. Specifically related to a project in Croatia, in partnership with Zadar Cruise Port, SeaCras is actively contributing to the preservation of the Velebit wilderness area, together with the NGO Rewilding Velebit. This includes engaging the local community through fully transparent data access, made easily available and free of charge via our SeaCras app.
IV. Moreover, at the International Institute for Climate Action (IICA) Impact & Connect After-Work Event, which focused on the theme ‘Resistance of the tourism sector to climate change’, our CEO, Mario Špadina, shared key insights on behalf of SeaCras.
With the declaration for marine restoration, signed by most UN countries, regenerative tourism becomes a key strategic plan for the long-term health of our ecosystems and communities. SeaCras thus also remains dedicated to promoting and implementing forward-thinking practices that ensure tourism not only sustains, but actively restores the environments we depend on.
From Monaco to Nice, SeaCras had a productive and packed week at the United Nations Ocean Conference 3 (UNOC3), the world’s largest conference contributing to the global issue on the future of our oceans. Here’s all the events we took part in!
Blue Economy & Finance Forum (BEFF)
At the Blue Economy & Finance Forum in Monaco, our CEO Mario Špadina, was invited by the WAVE Foundation, Fondation Prince Albert II de Monaco, FII Institute, and Red Sea Global to join a a curated group at the ‘Unlocking Innovation for Regenerative Tourism’ workshop to work on new practices in regenerative coastal tourism, as an upgrade to sustainability practices.
The workshop’s aim was to define new guidelines for regenerative tourism, a concept that goes beyond sustainability, which, while now standard, has often failed to deliver the necessary impact, especially in climate-vulnerable communities and destinations.
Regenerative tourism and the broader blue economy advocate for active restoration of marine and coastal environments, not just to repair damage, but to prevent further degradation.
Blue Economy & Finance Forum
Nice Business Ocean Forum (NBOF)
We also participated at the Nice Business Ocean Forum, where our CEO joined a panel discussion organised by the UN Global Compact Network France and Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur, bringing a data-driven perspective to ocean innovation business opportunities in the Mediterranean region.
Nice Business Ocean Forum
Startup Reef
At the United Nations Ocean Conference 3 Startup Reef, organised by the World Economic Forum and 1000 Ocean Startups, we presented SeaCras’ technology, showing how satellite data and AI can provide real-time insights into marine pollution and help protect fragile ecosystems of touristic destinations.
Startup Reef
ENGAGE Area at the Digital Ocean Pavilion
And at the European Digital Ocean Pavilion, organised by Mercator Ocean International, OceanPrediction Decade Collaborative Centre and partners, our work was featured at the ENGAGE area, spotlighting how we turn technology into marine protection.
SeaCras’ technology was featured in a video presentation as part of Europe’s leading innovation efforts for sustainable ocean management. SeaCras’ Chief Communications Officer, Ana Čupić, was there and personally presented our technology to the attendees.
This way, SeaCras took part in discussions with ocean advocates, NGOs, global foundations, and policymakers, and shared how we use AI and satellite data to track marine pollution in real-time.
The result? Drawing interest and sparking conversations about the urgency of protecting our blue planet.
ENGAGE Area at the Digital Ocean Pavilion
Key Takeaways
This event was definitely a chance to showcase real-world solutions and gather valuable feedback from other conference participants. The United Nations Ocean Conference 3 (UNOC3) isn’t yet another event. It’s a transformative moment on a global stage.
And that’s why we’re incredibly proud to have contributed to such a meaningful conference and inspired by the momentum it has created!
Major events like UNOC3 are not just about visibility. They’re about accountability. They push us all to act smarter, collaborate better, and move faster in managing and protecting the ocean we all rely on.
Although reports of the ‘problematic’ algal bloom in the northern Adriatic began circulating back in May, the truth is that this phenomenon only started in early June.
What’s important to note is that it now appears throughout the Adriatic and not only near the river Po delta. This time it has also emerged in less expected areas, such as the coastal waters around Split.
Today, we’re sharing the results of a study in which we detected and documented the presence of mucilage, the organic aggregates that form as a result of an abnormal algal bloom.
But there’s no need for alarm, as this is not considered pollution (according to the EU’s Marine Strategy Framework Directive). Since the phenomenon is currently limited to a relatively small area compared to the entire Croatian coastline, no reputational risk is expected for the Croatian tourism.
Still, we should remain alert, as abnormal algal blooms can have a range of negative effects on the marine environment. The footage below shows the wider area around Split, along with close-up frames from our analysis clearly identifying mucilage clusters.
Algal bloom and mucilage clusters in coastal waters around Split
These are extremely small aggregates, invisible to conventional satellite imaging methods available through publicly available services like Copernicus or Landsat.
Quantifying mucilage concentrations and pinpointing their spatial distribution at a micro-level (as precise as 10-20 meters) was made possible through a combination of very-high-resolution satellite imagery and AI, a key component of SeaCras’ Coastal Intelligence system.
And this is where the importance of the Early Warning System (EWS) comes in. SeaCras uses this warning system to detect such phenomena in their early stages, before it’s too late.
But one key question remains:
Would you like to receive this kind of insight in real time?
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has highlighted the urgent need to protect the Mediterranean’s Posidonia Oceanica meadows from damage caused by anchoring. So, how should we address the challenges of marine conservation?
The WWF’s report is based on satellite data from the Automatic Identification System (AIS) for tracking ships. But when it comes to AIS, there are a few things to keep in mind.
AIS only counts ships that are over 24 metres long and have the system turned on – and vessels over 24 metres long or more make up only a small part of the total sailing fleet. Most sailors who anchor are smaller vessels, mainly sailboats and catamarans.
Similarly, many ships over 24 metres long deliberately do not switch on their AIS systems (the so-called ‘dark vessels’) in order to avoid revealing their true routes and impact on the environment.
To demonstrate how much the study was not quite right in assessing the actual situation, we’ve visualised our analysis in the image below, which shows the relationship between the following areas:
Red color – areas with Posidonia oceanica off the coast of Korčula island that are (partially) covered by the study.
Green color – areas where the seagrass grows, and which are exposed to the anchoring of dozens of vessels, most often less than 15 meters long, on a daily basis.
Vessel detection image based on our analysis
Looking only at the territory of the Republic of Croatia, it’s clear that the actual number of anchorings that negatively affect the marine environment – and thus undermine efforts toward marine conservation – is incomparably higher than that shown in the study.
We deliberately took vessels up to 15 meters long as a reference, and not up to 24 meters, because in that case the difference would be even more drastic and would further discredit the conclusions of the study.
Additionally, anchoring on Posidonia oceanica meadows represents only one of the key parameters for assessing the ecological vulnerability and maximum capacity of the area.
Here are some other questions for further discussion:
What specific types of vessels are involved?
How many such vessels are there exactly?
To what extent and how do they affect the seabed?
To what extent do they affect the quality of the sea?
How much is plastic pollution and underwater noise?
Where are the dark vessels?
How does all of the above affect navigation safety?
What is the preferential choice of destinations for foreign guests?
SeaCras uses Coastal Intelligence to analyse data from all vessel sizes. Including the detection of ‘dark vessels’, i.e. those with illegal maritime operations.
Based on our analysis, it is not surprising that the Republic of Croatia expanded the network of protected marine areas from the current 12% to 32%, with the announcement of the adoption of a national plan for the restoration of nature.
As an official member of the EU Mission: Restore Our Ocean and Waters, UN Global Compact Network and UN 1000 Ocean Startups initiatives, we welcome and support this decision and look forward to actively contributing to the coastal areas and marine conservation.
The Coastal Intelligence system covers not only impacts on seagrass meadows, but also bleaching and mechanical damage to corals, as well as mangrove clearing.
Only with active and integrated monitoring of various indicators of the actual situation and modelling of future scenarios, it is possible to recognise threats in a timely manner, prevent further environmental degradation and mitigate the consequences of human negligence.
