00:00Fayal, one of the Azores islands in the middle of the Atlantic, draws summer visitors from around the world.
00:06But this group of snorkelers is different.
00:09Diving side by side with tourists are marine biologists and archaeologists part of a European research project called EcoRoute that connects tourists to underwater history.
00:30We are trying to value these facilities as an active tourist, of a sustainable tourism.
00:44Beneath the surface lie the remains of a 19th century English steamship.
00:48Sites like this could draw a new kind of visitor, responsible tourists.
00:52They are people who like to know the history and the nature of a island.
00:58So I think it's super valuable to be able to pass this message to our visitors and to be able to enjoy a beautiful beach like this with them.
01:10Researchers want to learn from tourists' impressions.
01:14Yeah, it was totally different to doing snorkeling on your own.
01:23We get a bit of history of the shipwreck and the area itself.
01:28The Azores have protected 30% of their waters.
01:31This Portuguese archipelago is determined not to let mass tourism threaten its natural and cultural treasures.
01:39We have a great opportunity to see what happened in other parts of the world and to try not to repeat the same mistakes.
01:46The public authorities are also attentive, and the stakeholders themselves are attentive to the need to develop tourism in a sustainable way,
01:55not very stressed,
01:57guaranteeing that the resources on which this activity is based on also perpetuate in time.
02:03Coastal tourism is the biggest sector in Europe's blue economy, accounting for more than half its jobs and over 200 billion euro in revenue.
02:12We're joining the Echoroute team at another test site for sustainable underwater tourism.
02:1720 metres down, old anchors and cannons rest on the seabed.
02:27They've been moved here from a nearby excavation.
02:29Now tourists can explore Atlantic's shipping history while surrounded by marine fauna.
02:35These historic artifacts placed here at the Atlantic Sea floor are becoming artificial rings,
02:42attracting various marine lives.
02:44This is a great tour for diving.
02:47This is a great tour for diving.
02:52You can see what was brought here earlier for handels.
02:54And now here, this tour guide has brought some historical details to the table.
02:59I thought it was great.
03:01Echoroute and other European projects are putting new sites on the tourist map,
03:05while keeping them protected.
03:07These buoys, for instance, are being set up to let dive boats maw without dropping anchors that damage the seabed.
03:16What we do is to work in different areas.
03:20Now is a project in the sea, but it could be also to do, for instance, with hiking trails,
03:26so that in 10 or 20 years we still have a beautiful place and tourism is a force for goods.
03:33The Azores in Europe's other remote regions are part of several EU-funded projects,
03:38making seaside activities more eco-friendly.
03:42Let's head to Tenerife, one of Spain's Canary Islands.
03:48These waters host a third of all whale and dolphin species on Earth.
03:53Whale-watching tours are big business here.
03:56But Misael Vargas, a marine biologist, wants his tours to have the smallest possible footprint.
04:01Unlike the bigger commercial boats often used for whale-watching,
04:06Biocean's quiet inflatable vessel doesn't disturb the animals like these pilot whales.
04:12And with just a small group aboard, everyone can hear Misael's detailed explanations of whale biology and behaviour.
04:18It's a small boat. You are nearby the animals. You have a direct contact.
04:31We find the nature of the animals and the animals here are better than when you are on a mass tour.
04:42So we're deploying the hydrophone, which is an underwater microphone, allowing us to not only observe, but also listen.
04:51The hydrophone enables these tourists to hear whale clicks and whistles as they happen.
05:00Listen to that.
05:01Listen to that.
05:02The moment before capturing the prey is basically like...
05:07Then comes the silence. Capture.
05:12There is an environmental emergency and we need to create opportunities like this that can change the mentality of people.
05:23That they can see nature as part of us, not as something isolated.
05:28This company partners with another EU-funded project, Twinned by Stars, that works to divert suicide holidays away from noisy attractions towards meaningful experiences in harmony with nature.
05:40We have understood perfectly that you can win in sustainability and competitiveness at the same time.
05:49So your main value is to transmit educational and environmental values to tourists or customers who consume their experiences.
06:00Back in Fayal, in the Azores, another whale watching company called Naturalist has made scientific research part of their daily tours.
06:07Certified marine biologists aboard record every wildlife encounter and collect samples like whale skin particles.
06:14The data goes to research institutes, cutting field study costs while tourists get a chance to see real marine science before their eyes.
06:24It is preserved. I also brought a big one. This is the best we can have.
06:28We want to be models to try to create products that also other companies can use to potentiate these links between the science and the tourism and to use better data.
06:41Because with these companies, we are every day in the ocean, we can get real data for long periods.
06:47The two European projects, Twinned by Stars and Echo Route, show just a few of the ways we can make our summer holidays more ocean friendly.
06:57But researchers remind us that one doesn't need to be a diver or whale watcher to help protect marine environments.
07:04Even tourists, simply relaxing on the beach, can pick up litter as they go, keeping coasts beautiful and marine life safe from the dangers of plastic pollution.
07:17We have climate change, we have pollution, we have massive extinction events of species.
07:27But at this moment, it is still possible to change our behavior and somehow contribute to things improve.
07:38So, it is important that tourists also know this.
07:41Across the globe, badly managed seaside tourism pollutes coasts and threatens marine life.
07:49But places like the Canaries and Azores prove we can enjoy the ocean while keeping it safe.
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