The 2025 edition of European Maritime Day took place from 21 to 23 May in Cork, Ireland, gathering over 1,200 stakeholders from across Europe’s maritime community. Organised by the EU Commission in collaboration with Cork City Council and the Irish Department of Environment, Climate and Communications, EMD 2025 served as a pivotal platform for discussions on the future of the sustainable blue economy.

Key topics included the forthcoming European Ocean Pact, maritime spatial planning, blue skills development, and regional cooperation through EU Sea Basin Strategies. The event featured high-level panels, thematic workshops, and exhibitions showcasing innovative projects and initiatives. Notably, the High-Level Panel on Synergies between Sea Basin Strategies highlighted the importance of regional collaboration in addressing maritime challenges and implementing EU blue economy policies.

EBI participated actively in EMD 2025, contributing to the discourse on sustainable maritime tourism. As part of the TWINNEDbySTARS project, EBI organised a workshop titled "From Isolation to Innovation: Boosting Maritime and Coastal Tourism in Outermost Regions." The session brought together key stakeholders, including Christos Economou (DG MARE), Anastasia Fourkiotou (Atlantis Consulting S.A.), and Paal Janson (Irish Marine Federation), to discuss challenges and opportunities for sustainable tourism in the EU's Outermost Regions.

The workshop underscored the need for enhanced regional cooperation, science-based legislation, and knowledge-sharing to foster sustainable growth in maritime tourism. Insights and recommendations from the session will inform policy feedback reports for the TWINNEDbySTARS and ecoRoute projects, aiming to support the development of innovative, sustainable tourism practices in remote maritime regions.