GNTO Launches ‘Sustainable Greece’ Platform for UK Users

The Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) announced that it has launched in the UK a new platform promoting sustainability initiatives and best practices taking place in Greece.

Sustainablegreece.co.uk, a GNTO UK-Ireland project, was presented during a special event in London this week attended by Deputy Tourism Minister Sofia Zacharaki, local tour operators, tourism stakeholders, and media.

The initiative is part of a national sustainable tourism strategy which the GNTO’s UK-Ireland branch has been promoting through a series of webinars on the subject.

Greek Deputy Tourism Minister Sofia Zacharaki (second from left) with R. Hammond, journalist from Green Traveler; T. Williamson, the Director General of Responsible Travel; V Turner, the Executive Director of the Ionian Environmental Foundation; and Eleni Skarveli, the head of the GNTO office in UK & Ireland.

According to a recent study carried out by the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA), more than half (54 percent) of UK  travelers said they took into consideration services providers’ environmental standards and that they were willing to pay more for a holiday with a company that had a ‘cleaner’ environmental footprint.

UK travelers polled also said that hoped in the near future to be able to choose their holidays based on the sustainability of accommodation services and destination.

Through the site, the GNTO hopes to create a channel of communication and a meeting ground where tourism professionals implementing greener practices are promoted.

“It’s inspiring to see the work being done towards the transformation of our tourism sector through policy changes, investments and prioritization as we seek to launch a new future for our country,” said Zacharaki during the London event, adding that Greece has all the qualities to evolve into a leading sustainable tourism destination.

Greek Deputy Tourism Minister Sofia Zacharaki speaking to UK tourism professionals and media representatives.

Implementing “greener” policies, investing in the circular economy and in digital transformation, enhancing infrastructure projects are the next steps for the development of “Brand name Greece”, said Greek Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias during last month’s “My Green Mobility 2022” forum held in Athens.

Lastly, the GNTO event included an open discussion with the participation of Victoria Turner, executive director of the Ionian Environment Foundation, Richard Hammond founder of Green Traveller, and Responsible Travel Director Tim Williamson.