The World Surf Cities Network (WSCN) Annual Meeting took place between March 18 and 21, 2024, jointly held in Miraflores (Peru) and Arica (Chile), bringing together representatives from member cities, universities, and public entities to align network priorities and approve governance decisions.

Main highlights

• Admission of new member cities: Garabito (Costa Rica), Mar del Plata (Argentina), and Manta (Ecuador) were approved by the assembly, reinforcing the network's presence in Latin America and the transatlantic exchange of best practices.

• Governance: the Presidency of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Spain), the Vice-Presidency of Ericeira (Portugal), and the Technical Secretariat ensured by the Ciudad de Mar unit of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria were confirmed , in line with the work plan for 2025.

Work topics and decisions

The technical agenda focused on four main areas:

• Sustainability and coastal management: monitoring, climate adaptation, ecosystem protection;

• Social inclusion and adapted surfing: shared programs and methodologies;

• Innovation and knowledge: European projects, scientific transfer and cooperation with universities;

• Competitiveness and the blue economy: enhancing surf tourism and training operators.

The sessions included plenary sessions, technical roundtables, and field visits, culminating in the approval of the action plans for 2024/2025.

MEETING DATA

• Locations: Miraflores (Peru) & Arica (Chile)

• Dates: March 18–21, 2024

• Local organization: Municipalities of Miraflores and Arica

• Network coordination: WSCN Presidency and Technical Secretariat (Ciudad de Mar)

• Participants: WSCN member cities, public and academic entities from the countries involved.