Mental and Sustainable Mindscapes – raising awareness & competences of benefits of intersecting mental wellbeing and environmentally friendly tourism in the SB region No STHB.03.01-IP.01-0002/24 – a cross-border initiative to improve quality of tourism facilities and offers. We recognize that mental and sustainable tourism is essential for the long-term health and prosperity of the Baltic Region, ensuring that tourism development is compatible with environmental conservation, cultural preservation, and community well-being. By embracing sustainability principles, the region can continue to attract visitors while safeguarding its natural and cultural treasures for future generations. We also recognize that certification can be a powerful tool for enhancing the competitiveness, sustainability, innovation and overall success of tourism offers and facilities, while also contributing to the satisfaction and well-being of guests, employees, and local communities. The Mental and Sustainable Mindscapes project aims to support tourism operators and facilities, NGOs, public organisations and decision makers in the coastal regions of Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Lithuania, and Poland to improve their awareness and practices. The project has a number of added values that stem from its cross-border approach and cooperation, e.g.: development of common standards and certification methodology, transfer of knowledge and experience, creating synergies and complementarities. The project involves partners and associated partners from Poland and Lithuania. The project objective is development and implementation of mental and sustainable tourism certification programme for the SB Region. The certification programme will include tools and methodology developed within the framework of cross-border cooperation. In the first stage, which is the subject of this application, we intend to develop, implement and test the common operating methodology and the online self-evaluation tool for target groups. Using them, we want to certify at least 10 operators and/or tourist facilities in Lithuania and Poland during the project period. 

Project partners:
Lead partner – Polish Union of Active Mobility (PUMA) (Poland);
Partner No. 1 – EUCC Baltic Office (Lithuania);
Partner No. 2 – Tourist Association “Northern Kashubia” (Poland).
 
The project is funded by the Interreg South Baltic Programme 2021 – 2027
Priority: Attractive South Baltic ; Measure: Developing sustainable, resilient, and innovative tourism

Total project budget: 148 999,00 euro

Project start date: 2024-09-28                       Project end date: 2026-03-27
 
This article has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The content of this article is the sole responsibility of the Administration of Lithuania Minor Protected Areas. It can under no circumstances be taken to reflect the opinion of the European Union.