Accelerating the sustainable transition of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the tourism sector through behavioural science. Moving forward together towards more responsible tourism.
Our mission
The First Mile project uses the power of behavioural science to help small and medium-sized enterprises in the tourism sector adopt more environmentally friendly practices.
By drawing on our understanding of human behaviour, we design concrete, low-cost solutions that promote immediate and lasting change.
How do we achieve this?
The First Mile project supports 80 SMEs in France, Norway, Italy and Slovenia. These businesses will be able to experiment with innovative behavioural tactics, test new solutions and see the direct benefits.
These first steps should create a ripple effect, inspiring other players in the tourism industry to follow suit.
Behavioural science and tourism
Behavioural science can help remove barriers to change and encourage behavioural change, particularly during holidays, when our commitment to the environment tends to diminish in favour of rest and relaxation. These gentle, incentive-based methods are non-coercive and contribute to a conscious ecological transition.
Our principles of action: every action counts
- Facilitate sustainable choices to make them natural: reduce the effort required to adopt eco-friendly actions so that they become spontaneous.
- Provide information at the right time: provide clear guidelines when making decisions, raise awareness to encourage responsible choices.
- Make sustainable choices the default option: make the right decision automatic, without any extra effort.
- Promote sustainable solutions: to make them the most attractive option.
- Create a new social norm: encourage responsible behaviour through the power of example and community.
First Mile tactics
Our solutions target eight priorities that promote: reducing carbon footprints, limiting environmental impact, promoting sustainable tourism practices – improving waste management, reducing single-use plastics, reducing water consumption, reducing food waste, promoting local food, improving visitor flow management, reducing energy consumption and encouraging green mobility.
- Discover the 25 First Mile tactics: reducing energy consumption, encouraging green mobility, reducing waste, improving visitor flow management, reducing water consumption, promoting local food, etc.
Project deliverables
FIRST MILE Best Practices Collection
A catalogue of inspiring practices for your tourism projects
30 simple and easy-to-share behavioural tactics to advance sustainable tourism and move from intention to action.
The FIRST MILE collection of practices presents low-cost solutions that have been tested by more than 80 companies in Norway, Slovenia, Italy and France, and validated by both customers and tourism professionals.
Final project event
FIRST MILE Project – Final Event in Bologna
On 20 October 2025, the FIRST MILE project concluded with a final event in Bologna, bringing together tourism SMEs, researchers, public authorities, and European networks around a shared goal: making sustainability concrete, accessible, and actionable for the tourism sector.
FIRST MILE publishes a Compendium of Best Practices for SMEs in Tourism
The project in brief
Using simple, inexpensive and effective behavioural approaches, we are supporting the ecological transition of 80 SMEs in France, Italy, Norway and Slovenia.
Using knowledge of human behaviour to transform practices and facilitate eco-responsible decision-making by travellers and tourism operators.
- Single Market Programme (SME Pillar)
- January 2023 > December 2025
Resource hub: to go further
- Check out a selection of resources, conferences, reports and expert opinions exploring how behavioural knowledge