The Interreg Euro-MED Programme has made available a new set of tools developed by its funded projects to support sustainable, resilient tourism development and help destinations address the challenges posed by climate change across the Mediterranean region.

These tools include methodologies, strategies, catalogues and guidelines designed to support tourism destinations, public authorities and tourism stakeholders in improving sustainability, strengthening climate adaptation capacity and enhancing territorial resilience.

Among the resources available is the contribution of the TOURISMO project, through the publication of the Best Practices Guide on Tools & Strategies for Certification of Sustainable Tourism Destinations.

The guide supports tourism destinations in understanding and implementing effective tools and strategies for sustainability certification. It provides an overview and comparative analysis of the main existing certification schemes, offers practical guidance for launching and managing certification processes, and identifies the indicators, data and tools required to assess sustainability performance.

Drawing on the collection and analysis of best practices from destinations across the Mediterranean, the guide proposes a structured framework that helps territories align with internationally recognised standards and strengthen their capacity to achieve credible and transparent sustainability certifications.

The guidelines also support destinations in a progressive sustainability improvement journey by defining minimum requirements, gradual implementation approaches, and recommendations for the use of data, analytical tools and governance models. The overall objective is to foster effective integration between monitoring and strategic planning, contributing to the development of a Mediterranean model of resilient tourism destinations.

Available Tools

• TOURISMO – Best Practices Guide on Tools & Strategies for Certification of Sustainable Tourism Destinations
• COOL NOONS – Catalogue of the Solutions
• HERIT ADAPT – Sustainable Tourism Model
• LIBECCIO – Up-scaled DMSS Tool
• MAST – Sustainability Protocol for SMEs Accommodation
• MED-GIAHS – MED-GIAHS Network, Sustainable Agricultural Tourism Experiences Joint Catalogue, Strategy for Sustainable Agricultural Tourism in MED-GIAHS Sites
• MED-Routes – Package for Sustainable Practices and Eco-Itineraries in Mediterranean Cultural Routes, EMBLEMATIC MED-Routes Transferability Guidelines for the Creation of Eco-Itineraries, Transnational Strategy for the Valorisation of Sustainable Practices
• NaTour4CChange – Climate Risk Assessment Methods for Coastal Tourism Regions and Destinations, NbS for Coastal Destinations Climate Action Manual, Tourism Destination Climate Action Plan Toolkit