Tourism as an Ocean Ally: Reflections from HIC Summit Ibiza

“If you love a place, take it back with you — and start protecting it and sharing its stories”
That could have been the unofficial slogan of the HIC Summit Ibiza (15–17 October), a three-day forum connecting leaders in tourism, gastronomy, finance, and conservation to imagine a more regenerative relationship between people and the sea.

For years, tourism has too often followed the logic of the fable of the golden eggs: a farmer discovers a hen that lays a golden egg every day but, driven by greed, kills it to get all the gold at once—only to lose it forever. In the same way, many destinations have been consumed instead of cared for.

The summit challenged this mindset, showing that protection and prosperity can grow together — from Costa Rica to the Seychelles, and from olive groves to the Mediterranean seabed.

Day 1 — Taste as a Path to Regeneration

The opening day focused on the link between food, sustainability, and tourism — a reminder that every ingredient tells a story of land, sea and communities.

A tasting and dialogue brought together Michelin-starred chefs who are reshaping gastronomy as an act of regeneration:

• Nacho Solana (Cantabria)
• Randy Siles (Costa Rica)
• Joan Capilla (L’Algadir del Delta, Catalonia)
• Xune Andrade (Monte, Asturias)

Each spoke about innovation rooted in place: working directly with local farmers and producers, reviving forgotten cultivation methods, reducing waste, and restoring natural cycles. Their kitchens prove that creativity and circularity can coexist — and that the pleasure of food can inspire environmental care.

“Chefs can turn sustainability into flavor, and flavor into awareness.”

(Video of Day1 is visible here)

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Day 2 — The Blue Economy: From Finance to the State of the Ocean

The second day opened with a session on Blue Finance, where investors and experts reflected on the opportunities and challenges of funding ocean protection.

Speakers included: Clara Arpa (UN Global Compact Spain), Miguel de Ros (Oceans Investor and organizer of the panel), Iñigo Doria (Arrecife Energy Systems), Marta Costa (Maze Impact, Portugal), and Jorge Juttner (Seven Seas Capital).

They discussed how investment in marine conservation often faces long timeframes and complex monitoring requirements, yet emphasized that the health of the ocean is essential for the health of our economies and societies.

The following panel, “The State of the Seas and Ocean Exploration”, gathered scientists and organizations working directly in marine restoration:
Dr. Ignacio Hernández (University of Cádiz, Spanish Group of Blue Carbon Experts), Gustavo Alvarado (former Minister of Tourism of Costa Rica), Francisco López Castejón (Cartagena Oceanographic Research Institute and organizer of the panel), Samara Croci (Healthy Seas Foundation), and Marc Rigau (Blue Life Foundation).

Healthy Seas shared practical insights from our education activities and from “ghost farm” cleanups, such as the one in Ithaca, Greece — where removing abandoned fish-farming structures has revived local biodiversity and reopened the area to navigation, fishing, and sustainable tourism.

“When restoration begins, communities heal too. Conservation becomes not a cost, but a story people want to be part of.”

(Video of Day 2 is visible here)

Day 3 — Education, Regeneration, and the Restoration Debt

The final day, hosted at Colegio Mestral Ibiza, turned the spotlight on education and leadership as the roots of change. Students, educators, diplomats, and experts discussed how to inspire a new mindset — one that connects economy, ecology, and empathy.

Speakers included:
Antonio Olmedilla (Director, Colegio El Mestral), José Manuel Lapeña (Consul General of Seychelles), Luigi Cabrini (President, Global Sustainable Tourism Council), Natalia Olson-Urtecho (Silicon Valley Forum; former advisor to President Obama), José Eugenio Gutiérrez (Head of Agri-Food Systems, SEO/BirdLife/Olivares Vivos), Branislav Mizenko (TUI Foundation) and Manuel Quirós (biologist and researcher, Instituto IE).

The session also featured projects presented by the TUI Foundation, showcasing how tourism companies can actively contribute to conservation and education. Among them, the turtle protection initiative in Ibiza stood out as an inspiring example of collaboration between the tourism sector and local environmental organizations, alongside many other restoration and community projects supported by the foundation around the world.

Among the most thought-provoking ideas was the concept of the “restoration debt”, presented by Olivares Vivos — a project showing that agriculture can increase biodiversity without sacrificing productivity. Each new field under cultivation creates an ecological debt that must be “repaid” by actively improving the surrounding ecosystem. Soon, the model will expand to vineyards and almond orchards, proving that farming and nature can evolve together.

José Manuel Lapeña, Consul General of the Seychelles, reminded the audience that betting on sustainability is not a risk for the economy, but the foundation of resilience. He cited Rwanda’s example: by protecting its endangered gorillas, the country turned conservation into its main source of tourism revenue — a model of how ecological integrity can generate prosperity.

Another highlight was the presentation by Manuel Quirós, who illustrated the limits of planetary growth and invited participants to look to nature as a model for innovation. His talk on biomimicry demonstrated that the solutions we need are often already present in the natural world — we just need to observe, learn, and adapt.

“Every hectare cultivated starts a debt to nature. Paying it back means ensuring the system that feeds us keeps living.”

(Video of Day is visible here)

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A Shared Vision for the Future

Across panels and sectors, a few themes echoed powerfully:

• Leadership and long-term vision are essential to drive systemic change.
• All stakeholders — from governments to small producers — must sit at the same table to design solutions.
• Education and communication are as crucial as technology to build public trust and participation.
• Regenerative tourism is not an alternative to profit; it’s the condition for its continuity.

At Healthy Seas, we believe that every destination can become a story of restoration and shared responsibility. When travelers, businesses, and local communities work together, the ocean stops being a backdrop — it becomes the protagonist.

Key Takeaway

Tourism doesn’t have to take — it can give back. When a visitor falls in love with a place, that love can become protection, investment, and inspiration.

Partner with Us

Healthy Seas collaborates with hotels, tour operators, and destinations to design hands-on marine restoration projects that combine conservation, education, and circular economy solutions.

Let’s co-create your regenerative tourism project: LINK