Background Tourism contributes 7% of EU GDP and two EU Member States, France and Italy are among the three most visited countries in the world. However, tourism can have negative impacts. The concentration of tourist activities during specific periods of the year has an affect on the carrying capacity of natural and cultural tourist destinations. Lack of local awareness and skills, combined with missing support structures and deficient information, means that even where environmentally-friendly solutions exist for the hotel sector, they are not implemented. With regard to the EU Eco-label, there is low awareness of the scheme, absence of cooperation and low 'brand recognition'. Objectives The aim of the project was to support effective EU-wide promotion and implementation of the Eco-Label on Tourist Accommodation Services (ELTAS), through demonstration actions in the Mediterranean region, and through raising awareness across the EU. The demonstration actions would be fourfold: 1. Feasibility studies at three pilot hotels – Porto Carras Resort in Haldikidi (Greece), Su Golgone Hotel in Sardinia (Italy) and the Coralia Club in Porticcio/Corsica (France) – in order to effectively help the owners to successfully apply for the ELTAS. 2. The development and on-site testing of professional tools and training modules for hotel managers and staff to increase understanding and allow concrete implementation of the ELTAS from the start of the process through to certification being achieved. 3. The development and integration in formal education of curricula about sustainable construction and management issues for students of architecture, engineering, and tourism management 4. The wide dissemination of results to different identified user groups and stakeholders. ELTAS was due to be revised in April 2007, and the project was also expected to contribute to this revision. Results The main result of the project has been to boost the positive trend towards eco-labelling in the tourist sector by supporting implementation and training actions for EU-wide implementation of ELTAS, the EU eco-label for tourist accommodation services. The project saw the creation of a ‘tool box’ designed to help tourism professionals in their passage towards eco-label implementation. This tool box consisted of an audit tool, a description of good practices, a methodology for simple cost/benefit analysis, and a decision making tool. The four tools were gathered on an easy-to-use CD, which was tested at the pilot sites in France, Italy and Greece. The CD is available in English only. Some 1,000 copies were printed of a marketing guide in four languages designed to help players in the hotel sector set up a ‘green marketing strategy’. This guide included the economic and environmental benefits of implementation of ELTAS. In addition, three educational modules – on the subjects of tourism management, engineering and architecture - were developed in pdf format for integration into student curricula. These modules were compiled on a CD (available in English only). To improve dissemination, a document summarising the three curricula was also produced. The beneficiary undertook a number of dissemination and communication activities, in particular through the Internet and paper press. A website, www.shmile.org, which allowed project partners to download relevant documents, went online in June 2005 and was updated throughout the remainder of the project. Three national workshops (France, Italy and Greece) were held at the end of October 2005, followed by a final workshop on 08 November 2006 during the Ecobuilding colloquium. The project was also presented in other conferences in various countries. Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report (see "Read more" section).