Mediterranean Academy of Culture, Technology and Trade

Sustainable Ecotourism Awareness at BMT - Borsa Mediterranea del Turismo Naples 2026

We are pleased to reshare this important milestone for the Sustainable Ecotourism Awareness project, presented at one of the key tourism events in the Mediterranean.

This participation reflects the ongoing joint efforts of the consortium to strengthen dialogue with industry stakeholders and to promote sustainable practices and green skills in the tourism sector, in line with the project objectives under Erasmus+ KA220-VET .

👏 Acknowledgement to all partners involved, and in particular to GuestItaly for supporting the connection with the local tourism ecosystem.

🌊 Sustainable Eco-tourism Awareness Project at the Borsa Mediterranea del Turismo 2026 | Naples, Italy

We are proud to share that the Sustainable Eco-tourism Awareness project was represented at the Borsa Mediterranea del Turismo (BMT), one of the most important trade fairs in the Mediterranean tourism sector, held in Naples from 12 to 14 March 2026.

On Saturday, 14 March, Prof. Roberto Micera (University of Basilicata) presented the SEA project in a dedicated talk titled "La sostenibilità per l'ospitalità e l'accoglienza turistica: Il Progetto SEA" as part of the workshop "Extra-alberghiero, le nuove norme che cambiano il settore" — a session focused on the evolving regulatory landscape for non-hotel accommodation.

This participation was made possible through the active engagement of Guestitaly APS, our Italian project partner based in Naples, whose deep connections with the local tourism business community continue to bring SEA's mission to where it matters most: the heart of the industry.

The project is committed to empowering tourism professionals, VET providers, and SMEs with the green skills and sustainability certifications needed to thrive in a fast-changing sector. Presentations at key industry events like the BMT are a vital part of our dissemination journey — bridging research, vocational training, and real-world tourism practice.

📌 Stay connected for more updates on our training resources, pilot activities across Italy, Turkey, and Malta, and our AI-powered e-learning platform currently in development.

🔗 Learn more about BMT Naples 2026: https://bmtnapoli.com/programma-2026/

The project Sustainable Eco-tourism Awareness is Co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union. The European Commission's support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

At the Mediterranean Academy of Culture, Technology and Trade, we consider it essential to start from children’s perspectives when designing educational approaches.

The findings emerging from the Lifenat: Little Footsteps IN NATure project highlight a clear direction:
outdoor environments are naturally associated by children with exploration, interaction, and discovery.

These insights reinforce the importance of promoting learning models that go beyond traditional classroom settings, integrating nature-based experiences into early childhood education.

At the same time, the results underline a key challenge. Learning is still often perceived by children as something linked to indoor, structured activities. This confirms the need to support educators in bridging this gap through innovative and inclusive methodologies.

MACTT will continue contributing to the next phase of the project, focusing on the development and dissemination of approaches that connect:
• learning
• wellbeing
• environmental awareness

within meaningful outdoor experiences.

🤝 Mediterranean Academy of Culture, Technology and Trade (Malta)
🤝 St Edward's College, Malta
🤝 Erasmus D. Dinis Agrupamento de Escolas D. Dinis (Portugal)
Fondi.eu | EUPA Malta - Erasmus+ & European Solidarity Corps | MaltaGov | Erasmus+ | European Commission

Children’s voices matter when designing better learning environments.
Within the Lifenat: Little Footsteps IN NATure project, students aged 2–9 shared their thoughts about learning indoors and outdoors through surveys and focus groups.

The results show a clear trend:
children associate outdoor spaces with play, freedom, and discovery.

Many described activities such as running, climbing, exploring nature, or playing with friends as their favourite experiences. These environments support social interaction, curiosity, and movement. All essential elements of early childhood development.

At the same time, some children still associate “learning” mainly with classroom materials such as pencils or worksheets. This highlights an important opportunity: helping children recognise that learning can also happen through play, exploration, and interaction with nature.

These insights are helping the LIFENAT partnership design activities that connect learning, wellbeing, and outdoor experiences.
https://www.mactt.eu/lifenat-project/

🤝 Mediterranean Academy of Culture, Technology and Trade (Malta)
🤝 St Edward's College, Malta (Malta)
🤝 Erasmus D. Dinis Agrupamento de Escolas D. Dinis (Portugal)
Fondi.eu | EUPA Malta - Erasmus+ & European Solidarity Corps | MaltaGov | Erasmus+ | European Commission

Over the past weeks, we have been actively coordinating the initial research phase of the Lifenat: Little Footsteps IN NATure (2025-1-MT01-KA210-SCH-000355754) project, co-funded by the European Union 🇪🇺.

Through focus groups and surveys involving parents, educators and students in and , we are ensuring that the Training Programme and Outdoor Learning Toolkit are developed on a solid, evidence-based foundation.

We thank our partners St Edward's College, Malta and Agrupamento de Escolas D. Dinis Erasmus D. Dinis, as well as all participants who contributed to this important phase.

A structured and inclusive methodology is the first step towards meaningful and sustainable impact in early childhood education.

Fondi.eu | EUPA Malta - Erasmus+ & European Solidarity Corps | MaltaGov | Erasmus+ | European Commission

🎓 Advance your career in international climate law! 🌍
Two specialised online awards from Mediterranean Academy of Culture, Technology and Trade starting soon:

📅 Start dates
Award in International Climate Change Law: 14 May 2026
Award in Climate Regime: 22 June 2026

🚀 Why join?
Gain practical skills and insights into international climate frameworks, negotiations, and legal instruments shaping global climate action.

👩‍🏫 Lecturer: PhD Rosa Manzo – expert in international and environmental law.

Secure your spot now:
Award in International Climate Change Law:
https://www.mactt.eu/courses-list/award-in-international-climate-change-law/

Award in Climate Regime:
https://www.mactt.eu/courses-list/award_in_climate_regime/

Survey for tourism businesses and professionals.

The Sustainable Ecotourism Awareness partnership invites tourism enterprises and sector professionals to take part in a short survey designed to assess current sustainability practices, training needs, and the level of awareness of green certification schemes. The results will support the development of the upcoming online training programme on Sustainable Tourism Management and Green Certification scheduled for January 2026.

This activity reflects the ongoing collaborative work carried out by the eight project partners, who have been jointly advancing research, capacity-building and stakeholder engagement across Europe. The survey has been developed by experts from Cappadocia University within the Erasmus+ Sustainable Ecotourism Awareness Project.

Your contribution will help refine the training modules, ensuring they respond to real needs and support the transition towards more sustainable tourism models.

⏱ Estimated time: about 10 minutes
📅 Deadline: 15 December 2025
🔒 Anonymous and compliant with GDPR and national data protection regulations

👉 Take the survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdVJW9X96WXUQYArxUVFgwNyBQWmUFoIx6mzg83G2YU0xS54A/viewform

Thank you for supporting the growth of sustainable tourism practices.

Web-site of the project: https://www.sustainable-ecotourism-awareness.eu/

Consorzio Promos Ricerche (Italy)
GuestItaly (Italy)
Kapadokya Üniversitesi (Turkey)
Ahiler Kalkınma Ajansı (Turkey)
AlterContacts (Netherlands)
Mediterranean Academy of Culture, Technology and Trade (Malta)
Mediterranean Tourism Foundation (Malta)
Ole | Tecnología (Spain)

EUPA Malta - Erasmus+ & European Solidarity Corps | Malta Tourism Authority | Visit Malta | University of Malta

The EU co-funded project Sustainable Ecotourism Awareness is moving forward. On November 26, the consortium partners met online to plan the next key step of WP2: the expert surveys that will help to shape the Course for Tourism Green Sustainable Certification.

During the meeting, partners from hashtag , hashtag , hashtag , hashtag , and the Netherlands aligned on the objectives, target groups, and methodology of the surveys, which will gather insights from VET providers, tourism SMEs, consultants, and certification bodies on green skills, training needs, and barriers to certification.

The surveys will directly inform the design of flexible, sector-specific training modules and toolkits that support professionals in working with EU Ecolabel, ISO 14001, Green Key, GSTC and other sustainability standards.

This online session also helped refine roles and timelines among Cappadocia University (leader of WP2) and the other partners, ensuring that the collected expertise from the three pilot areas (Italy, Turkey, Malta) is comparable and immediately usable for the upcoming training course and AI-powered e-learning platform.

By co-designing the survey framework, the consortium is making sure that WP2 responds to real labour market needs and empowers trainers, consultants and tourism operators to turn sustainability into a concrete competitive advantage.

Stay tuned for more updates as the expert surveys are launched!
https://www.sustainable-ecotourism-awareness.eu/

Consorzio Promos Ricerche (Italy)
GuestItaly (Italy)
Kapadokya Üniversitesi (Turkey)
Ahiler Kalkınma Ajansı (Turkey)
AlterContacts (Netherlands)
Mediterranean Academy of Culture, Technology and Trade (Malta)
Mediterranean Tourism Foundation (Malta)
Ole | Tecnología (Spain)

The Sustainable Ecotourism Awareness project partnership has defined the next steps for WP2, which focuses on developing the surveys that will guide the design of training modules on sustainable tourism certification. The information gathered will enable the development of targeted content and application tools for industry operators and organizations.

We, at Mediterranean Academy of Culture, Technology and Trade, continues to contribute to technical and dissemination activities, ensuring consistency with the objectives of the Erasmus+ program and the project's priorities.

https://www.sustainable-ecotourism-awareness.eu/

Consorzio Promos Ricerche (Italy)
GuestItaly (Italy)
Kapadokya Üniversitesi (Turkey)
Ahiler Kalkınma Ajansı (Turkey)
AlterContacts (Netherlands)
Mediterranean Academy of Culture, Technology and Trade (Malta)
Mediterranean Tourism Foundation (Malta)
Ole | Tecnología (Spain)

The EU co-funded project Sustainable Ecotourism Awareness is moving forward. On November 26, the consortium partners met online to plan the next key step of WP2: the expert surveys that will help to shape the Course for Tourism Green Sustainable Certification.

During the meeting, partners from Italy, Turkey, Malta, Spain, and the Netherlands aligned on the objectives, target groups, and methodology of the surveys, which will gather insights from VET providers, tourism SMEs, consultants, and certification bodies on green skills, training needs, and barriers to certification.

The surveys will directly inform the design of flexible, sector-specific training modules and toolkits that support professionals in working with EU Ecolabel, ISO 14001, Green Key, GSTC and other sustainability standards.

This online session also helped refine roles and timelines among Cappadocia University (leader of WP2) and the other partners, ensuring that the collected expertise from the three pilot areas (Italy, Turkey, Malta) is comparable and immediately usable for the upcoming training course and AI-powered e-learning platform.

By co-designing the survey framework, the consortium is making sure that WP2 responds to real labour market needs and empowers trainers, consultants and tourism operators to turn sustainability into a concrete competitive advantage.

Stay tuned for more updates as the expert surveys are launched!

The MACTT team is currently participating in the Transnational Training in Smolyan, Bulgaria, hosted by our partner Ecoworld Rhodopes as part of the Non-formal project.

Over the past few days, our group has joined peers from Türkiye, Poland and Bulgaria in a rich programme of workshops and activities focused on environmental education, non-formal learning and intercultural exchange.

The feedback from participants has been extremely positive — they are fully engaged and enthusiastic about the experience they are living together in the Rhodope Mountains.

We sincerely thank Ecoworld Rhodopes for the warm hospitality and for creating a collaborative and inspiring environment. A special recognition goes to all partner organisations for the consistent and valuable work carried out together so far.

- Ecoworld Rhodopes, Bulgaria
- Mediterranean Academy of Culture, Technology and Trade, Malta
- POZANTI ILCE MILLI EGITIM MUDURLUGU, Türkiye Memet Kaymaz
- Fundacja Centrum Kreatywnych Inicjatyw Edukacyjnych, Poland

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Il Postgraduate Certificate in Export Management, accreditato MFHEA con 30 ECTS, offre una formazione strutturata per comprendere il funzionamento dell’export, della logistica, dei contratti internazionali e delle strategie commerciali nei contesti globali. 📑

Le lezioni sono online e pensate per chi desidera applicare le proprie competenze in attività di internazionalizzazione o assumere un ruolo più attivo nei processi di crescita aziendale. 🎓

Per consultare la scheda del programma e conoscere le modalità di candidatura è possibile accedere alla pagina dedicata.
https://www.mactt.eu/postgraduate-certificate-in-export-management-ita/

Erogato dalla Mediterranean Academy of Culture, Technology and Trade
In collaborazione accademica con Dipartimento di Scienze Politiche - Università Vanvitelli
Promosso da Malta Business

Barbara Masiello | Floriana Iannone | Antonella Garofano | Clara Mariconda | Rosanna Pittiglio | Olivier Butzbach | Andrea Borroni | Roberto Cirillo | Aldo Amirante

Sergio Passariello | Armando Littorino | Caterina Passariello | Euromed Group | Imprese del Sud | Assomalta | Malta Quality Education |

postgraduate certificate in export management Corso professionale di Export Management per acquisire competenze pratiche su strategie di internazionalizzazione, analisi dei mercati esteri e gestione delle operazioni di export per imprese orientate alla crescita globale.

On 24th October 2025, we had the honour to receive the Grant Award Certificate for Erasmus+ project Lifenat: Little Footsteps IN NATure (2025-1-MT01-KA210-SCH-000355754), co-funded by the European Union 🇪🇺.

The certificate was officially presented to our CEO, Sergio Passariello, during the award ceremony held in the presence of Hon. Dr. Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi, Minister for EU Funds and Implementation of the Electoral Programme, Mr. Raphael Scerri, National Coordinator of EUPA Malta – Erasmus+ & European Solidarity Corps, and Mr. Jonathan Vassallo, Permanent Secretary, Ministry for EU Funds and Implementation of the Electoral Programme.

This recognition marks the beginning of a two-year European journey dedicated to promoting outdoor learning, inclusion, wellbeing, and sustainability in early childhood education.

We are proud to coordinate this partnership together with our valued partners:
🤝 Erasmus D. Dinis, Agrupamento de Escolas D. Dinis (Portugal)
🤝 St Edward's College, Malta (Malta)

Through Lifenat: Lifenat: Little Footsteps IN NATure, we aim to foster a greener, more inclusive, and inspiring learning environment for young children encouraging them to take their first little footsteps in nature.

Fondi.eu | EUPA Malta - Erasmus+ & European Solidarity Corps | MaltaGov | Erasmus+ | European Commission

LIFENAT Project | Kick-off Meeting – Malta, 23 October 2025
We are glad to share that today we gathered in Malta for the Kick-off Meeting of the project Lifenat: Little Footsteps IN NATure 🇲🇹

This event officially launched our project and laid the foundation for the upcoming activities that will promote outdoor learning, inclusion, and sustainability in early childhood education.

Throughout the day, we worked together on:
🔹 The Needs Analysis involving students, parents, and educators;
🔹 The development of the Best Practice Report;
🔹 The project’s visual identity and dissemination strategy;
🔹 Coordination and financial management for effective implementation.

The meeting was an important opportunity to strengthen collaboration and align our shared objectives, paving the way for the next steps of the LIFENAT journey. 🌱

A heartfelt thank you to all partners for their commitment and teamwork! 👣

🇲🇹 Mediterranean Academy of Culture, Technology and Trade (Malta)
🇲🇹 St Edward's College, Malta (Malta)
🇵🇹 Erasmus D. Dinis (Portugal)

Sergio Passariello | Armando Littorino | Annalise Domenici | Stephanie Grech | Caterina Passariello | Carla Barbosa | Ana Violante

MaltaGov | Fondi.eu | EUPA Malta - Erasmus+ & European Solidarity Corps

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EUPA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. Project Grant no. 2025-1-MT01-KA210-SCH-000355754