Background Tourism activities can have a number of direct negative effects on the local environment, such as the alteration or destruction of habitats and ecologically valuable areas, increased air emissions, increased waste production, eutrophic phenomena and the depletion of natural resources. Tourism also involves a number of activities that have negative environmental impacts on a wider scale, including the transport of tourists from their residence to vacation resorts, use of raw materials for the provision of tourist services, and the increased use of energy resources. Tourism is expanding rapidly and is leading to a deterioration of mountain and coastal regions in particular. In response, tourism was included as one of the target sectors of the Fifth European Community Environmental Action Programme. The proposed measures included improving the management of mass tourism and the quality of tourism services, promoting alternative forms of tourism, and information and awareness campaigns. The IPP (Integrated Product Policy) approach is a cornerstone for achieving the integration of environmental considerations into production sectors, including the provision of services like tourism. Objectives The aim of the project was to develop an innovative and demonstrative management model using the Integrated Product Policy (IPP) approach that could be used after the end of the project and extended to other regions and other services or products. The project aimed specifically to apply the IPP approach to tourist services, through the implementation of a model elaborated by project partner APAT (the national Environmental Protection Agency). The expected results were: • A reduction of the most significant negative environmental impacts caused by the tourist activities in Jesolo area; this reduction will be assessed through the use of appropriate indicators; • The refinement of the IPP model elaborated by APAT, so that it could be used as a reference method for IPP in Italy and in other counties; and • The launch of at least one similar project in another area of the European Union. Results The project tested the implementation of an IPP model developed by project partner APAT. The implementation saw the definition of key areas of intervention, the measurement of relevant indicators, and the set-up of a series of pilot actions involving both public and private operators at local level. The project carried out a number of activities of direct environmental benefit, including an increase in the use of bikes, the reduction in water use on beaches, and the increase in the use of public transport (including the set-up of a new bus line connecting all the beach areas). However, although they undoubtedly represent an improvement compared to the ex ante situation, the data provided imply that the impact of these activities has been less than anticipated, especially when compared to the scale of tourism in the region. The tested model could be of further use both locally and elsewhere, especially by APAT. However, the project did not ensure the use of the model beyond the end of the project. The project also failed to initiate another of the project's expected results, the start of at least one similar IPP project in the EU.