Building on the experience and results achieved through the MAST project, Sarajevo Meeting of Cultures (SMOC) continues its engagement in sustainable tourism through MAST PLUS, an international project bringing together partners from across the Mediterranean to support small and medium-sized accommodation enterprises in adopting sustainable practices.

Over the past months, the MAST PLUS partnership has been preparing for the next implementation phase, which will involve piloting and refining the MAST Sustainability Solution in cooperation with accommodation businesses across the Mediterranean.

On 15–16 October, project partners met in Athens for a consortium meeting hosted by the European Public Law Organization (EPLO). The meeting focused on reviewing the tools, methodology and activities needed to prepare for the upcoming pilot phase.

Preparatory work focuses on three key areas:

Adapting tools to local needs: refining the Sustainability Protocol and Self-Assessment Tool to reflect different local contexts and the needs of accommodation businesses.

Engaging accommodation businesses: identifying small and medium-sized enterprises with diverse needs and varying levels of experience in implementing sustainable practices.

Testing and exchanging experiences: establishing a common approach to piloting the tools, collecting feedback and sharing lessons learned across participating businesses.

The aim is to gain a better understanding of the challenges accommodation businesses face when introducing sustainable practices and to identify how practical tools can support their implementation in everyday operations.

The project plans to pilot the MAST Sustainability Solution with at least 50 small and medium-sized accommodation enterprises. Through this process, the project partners will work to further improve the tools and facilitate their application in different local contexts.

For SMOC, participation in MAST PLUS represents a continuation of its work in promoting sustainable tourism and building on the experience gained through the previous MAST project. Through international cooperation and knowledge exchange, SMOC continues to contribute to practical solutions that can support more responsible accommodation management and the sustainable development of tourism across the Mediterranean.

Discover more about the project: https://mast.interreg-euro-med.eu/