After a 28-month journey of collaboration and innovation, the EU WeMED Na_TOUR project has concluded, leaving a legacy of increased environmental awareness and advanced knowledge and practices on sustainable tourism in the Mediterranean region. Results and achievements of the project were celebrated and shared with experts and stakeholders of the Blue Economy during the final dissemination event, which took place on October 3rd at the WestMED Hackathon in the Algarve (Portugal). Organised by the WestMED Assistance Mechanism, in collaboration with Direção-Geral de Política do Mar (Portugal), CINEA, and DG MARE, the event brought together 87 participants from 15 different countries and representatives from major EU funding bodies such as EMFAF, Erasmus+, and Interreg. The project’s achievements were showcased at the Hackathon’s pitching session, spotlighting EU WeMED Na_TOUR’s impact and vision for a sustainable Mediterranean future. EU WeMED Na_TOUR’s pitching, delivered by Marika Mazzi Boém, Project Coordinator, is available online on YouTube at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7q0Qa61C5ag&t=195s . This final gathering also offered project partners the opportunity to network and explore future partnerships to keep advancing sustainable tourism practices, among which strategies and synergies to keep on capitalising and disseminating EU WeMED Na_TOUR’s results, lessons learnt and approaches. On October 4th, the Final Partner Meeting was celebrated, during which partners shared essential insights gained from their work, including the importance of community engagement, stakeholder alignment and the role of education and awareness in sustainability for the successful implementation of the project’s activities. Although EU WeMED Na_TOUR has officially ended, the work toward sustainable coastal tourism continues. Partners also discussed strategies to further integrate sustainable tourism practices, emphasizing the need for ongoing partnerships, capacity-building efforts, and local empowerment initiatives. The conclusion of this flagship EMFAF project marks not an endpoint, but a launching pad for several ambitious initiatives set to transform educational tourism across the Mediterranean including: WeMED Tourism Packages Going Commercial The Launch of the WeMED Alliance The Launch of the WeMED Academy: Professional Development Hub The journey to sustainable tourism is not over yet. Keep following us and checking out our website to discover new opportunities to continue contributing to the Blue Growth of the Mediterranean area.

On 2nd and 3rd October, ten students (aged 10 to 12) from TLC International School in Mauritania joined the domestic pilot trip organized to help them discover the sustainable activities and practices in Nouakchott. Over the two days, pupils embarked on activities in the capital city revolving around the local flora and fauna and the local culture. Activities included a guided visit to the Awleigatt National Park and to the port of Tanit, where they discovered marine products, observed traditional fishing techniques and discussed with local fishermen sustainable practices put in place to protect species and anticipate environmental threats. They had the opportunity to experience the importance of sustainable tourism and environmental protection hands-first, by taking part in a beach clean-up activity, which helped to raise their environmental awareness.  Students expressed their overall high satisfaction of the pilot trip and activities carried out and particularly enjoyed the interactive learning activities at the basis of the EU We MED_ NaTOUR’s ‘learning by visiting’ approach . Here are some of the lessons learned shared by the participants: “I discovered that Mauritanian has a lot of hidden gems inside it that most people don’t know about.” “I learnt that if there are too many tourists the animals will not have time to rest.” “I learnt how trash on the beach affects sea life and how dangerous plastic is for fish.”

From the 23rd to the 24 of May, seventeen students from a 7th-grade class from Estarreja Public School joined the domestic pilot trip crafted for them to experience the region’s natural, cultural and intangible heritage. Participants enjoyed two days of activities focused on the unique elements of the territories of the 6 Nautical Stations. They enjoyed a guided tour of the BioRia to discover local flora and fauna, a visit to the Monte Branco Shipyard-Museum with a bow painting experience on a moliceiro boat, the typical boat of the region, and they learnt how to surfskate. Among the other activities, they hopped on an electro-solar boat to visit Salicornia plantations and learn about oyster farming and also visited the Troncalhada Ecomuseum to learn the importance of aquatic ecosystems. Here are some of the lessons learned shared by the participants: “I learnt that I can contribute to reducing the ecological footprint by using environmentally friendly means of transport and playing with reused wooden toys.” “I think it's important to protect the environment and get more and more people to practise sustainable tourism.” “I learnt that sustainability is something we should always take care of, we should preserve and look after our environment and planet.”

20 students from Italy from Istituto Maria Immacolata - Imiberg (Bergamo, Italy) took part in a three-day pilot trip on the Balearic Island of Mallorca. From the 8th to the 10th of May participants were involved in various activities, aimed at enhancing their knowledge about the importance of the sustainable blue economy and how to become Green and Responsible Travelers. After a lesson on “Wildlife and Conservation”, based on the EU WeMED_ NaTOUR didactic materials, students participated in a guided tour of the Albufera Nature Reserve to put their recently acquired knowledge to the test and explore the different ecosystems and habitats of the reserve. The topics of biodiversity and conservation efforts were tackled also during the hiking activity on the mountains of Sierra de Tramuntana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Hands-on activities were also followed by conferences, organized by local stakeholders and organizations. Students also had the opportunity to deepen their knowledge and discuss with local stakeholders and professionals during conferences organized to delve deep into the topics of conservation efforts and the importance of biodiversity. Insights and lessons learnt by the participants: “It is extremely important to learn about environmental protection and sustainable tourism practices. Protecting the environment is crucial to ensure the health and well-being of our planet and future generations.” “Even simple steps and actions are enough to protect our environment and allow us to travel without contaminating the environment.” “Sustainability is not only about environmental aspects but also about economic and social ones. For example, a sustainable approach involves promoting agricultural practices that preserve soil and water, while supporting local communities with fair and safe working conditions.”

From the 8th to the 10th of May, 17 3rd year ESO students from the Santo Tomás de Aquino - Liceo Santa Teresa de Jesús School in Inca (Mallorca) enjoyed two days in Grado (Italy) in the framework of the eco-smart tourism package developed by the EU WeMED_NaTOUR Consortium. Plastic pollution and conservation efforts were the main topics covered during the stay, which were tackled using EU WeMED_ NaTOUR didactic materials and engaging activities, such as a beach clean-up activity in Punta Barbacale and surveying passengers at Palma airport about their participation in recycling activities. Another activity was the visit to the Valle Cavanata Nature Reserve, where they were informed about the historical context of the place and, equipped with binoculars, had the opportunity to enjoy a bird-watching activity and learn about the different ecosystems present in the nature reserve, as well as pollution causes in freshwater ponds. Some lessons learnt shared by the participants: “It is of utmost importance to teach what sustainable tourism is because if we do not learn to travel sustainably there will be harmful consequences for the environment.” “It doesn't have to be luxury and expensive tourism, where you use a lot of energy, plastic and resources. You just have to travel in a sustainable way and you will enjoy the experience in the same way.” “It is important to be a responsible tourist and not to pollute the country you are visiting just as you would not pollute your own.”

On March 20th 2024, the Community-based Design Thinking Workshop organized in Italy was held in Grado at the Sala del Consiglio GIT (Grado Impianti Turistici S.p.A.).  The goal of the workshop was to present the eco-smart tourism package and discuss the itinerary designed for Grado, adapting it to the ideas and suggestions presented by the local stakeholders. Therefore, after the presentation of the EU WeMED NA_Tour Project, its goals, and the eco-tourism packages for students, the participants were then invited to sit together to give feedback and discuss how sustainable and digital measures are or could be implemented into the local context. To define the itinerary of the eco-smart tourism package, activities and places suggested were annotated on the virtual whiteboard with the aid of a virtual map. Among the ideas and topics discussed, the usefulness of the following emerged: making accommodation facilities in Grado aware of the opportunities offered by the eco-smart tourism package and how the local community and the local economy could benefit from them, even on the long term reassuring Grado’s accommodation facilities that students are responsible travellers, thanks to the didactic materials provided providing schools using the didactic materials with a sort of certificate/quality stamp to testify these schools are trained to organize a sustainable and responsible trip.

On March 19th the workshop in Mauritania was held at the headquarters of the National Tourism Office (ONT), partner of the project, in the presence of the main professionals of the Mauritanian tourism scene and representatives of the ONT. The participants, including tour operators with over 20 years of experience in the sector, to whom the EU WeMED Na_TOUR project was presented, were trained on the activity, safety and health of schoolchildren and eco-tourism packages with the aim of designing the ECO-Smart travel itinerary for pilot trip in Mauritania, through the integration of the services provided by local operators. Among the goals of the training, largely achieved, below the priorities: presenting the itinerary requirements for students' Eco-Smart trip to Mauritania identifying and sharing needs, expectations and concerns regarding the safety and health of schoolchildren, but also the mobilization and awareness of the local community mapping tour operators' services to identify potential integrations and synergies reflecting on the action plan and mutual collaborative commitment, pursuing sustainable practices while respecting the environment. Participants and ONT members identified potential integrations and synergies with the help of an interactive map, and then expressed their thoughts on redefining services and collaborations. For the local trips, they have selected the city of Nouadhibou as the main destination. 

Transforming the universal concept of sustainability into concrete actions in tourism means working on two fundamental dimensions, valid for each kind of leisure tourism, also for school travels. The first is that of the timeline , which in tourism means aiming for a seasonality of tourism during 12 months a year, reducing excess human load in the most crowded destinations mainly in summer. It works by attracting those high-spending and long-haul markets that can bring economy to tourism areas and those that choose to travel outside of crowds. We are talking about the US market, the Central and South American ones and about Asia, which have contributed to ensuring that today the foreign share in Europe is more incisive in the spring months and in the September-October period. On this approach school tourism is naturally engaged in this process of enlargement of seasonality of flows, because during the crowded period schools are closed.  The second dimension is that of space , responding to the need to move flows from the large well-known hubs towards lesser-known tourism destinations, those hidden gems waiting to be discovered like villages which so much represent the authenticity of European culture and society, of the past, of the present and of the future. Particularly related to seaside destinations, the discovering of new and less known seaside landscapes, where students can really feel the nature and contribute to its protection, with activities oriented to enhance the value of cultural and natural local heritage in concrete experiences, can be a gift for the destinations as it can be a gift for the students in terms of enrichment and empowerment of their skills.

EU WeMED_NaTOUR Capacity Building Programme: Empowering Tourism SMEs