On November 21, 2025, the Tourism and Cultural Heritage component of the Go Blue project, funded by the European Union and managed by Camões – Instituto da Cooperação e da Língua, I.P., in partnership with the Secretariat of Jumuiya ya Kaunti za Pwani(JKP), marked the official closure of its activities with a final event on Kilifi, Kenya.
The final event brought together representatives from the counties that make up the Jumuiya ya Kaunti za Pwani - Mombasa, Kwale, Kilifi, Tana River, Lamu, and Taita Taveta - as well as institutional partners and beneficiaries, marking the conclusion of five years of work focused on strengthening inclusive and sustainable value chains in the tourism and cultural heritage sector in Kenya´s coastal regions.
The program began with a tour of the various exhibitors showcasing products from Go Blue-funded projects in Kilifi. This was followed by a panel discussion moderated by Nick Ang’ore from the JKP Secretariat, featuring Mathew Brooke, Head of the Governance and Macroeconomics Department at the European Union Delegation in Kenya, and Francisco Pessanha de Meneses, representative of the Portuguese Embassy in Kenya.
There were also presentations on the Value Chain Analysis Study by the Technical University of Mombasa, the Blueprint Marketing Plan by Pollant Tourism Consultancy, and on the experiences and impact of the project by the Ubuntu Leaders Academy.
The previous day, county representatives had the opportunity to participate in a meeting of the Blueprint Steering Committee, led by committee chair Mohamed Osman Ali, where they discussed the next steps for implementing this important strategic document developed as part of the project.
Go Blue is a partnership between the European Union and the Government of Kenya to promote the Blue Economy through Coastal Development. The Tourism and Cultural Heritage component was managed and co-financed by Camões, I.P.