Rhodes on its Way to Become World’s 1st Green Tourism Destination

Rhodes island. Photo Source: TUI

Reforestation projects, plastic-free goals, digitalized services and tourism employee training make up one of Greece’s most ambitious sustainability plans to be implemented on the island of Rhodes.

A 250-million-euro joint initiative of the South Aegean Region, TUI Group and the TUI Care Foundation, in cooperation with the Rhodes Municipality and local tourism stakeholders, The Rhodes Co-Lab Sustainable Destination program was introduced this week during a special event in Athens.

South Aegean Regional Governor Giorgos Hatzimarkos, TUI Group CEO Sebastian Ebel, and TUI Care Foundation Chairman Thomas Ellerbeck presented the Co-Lab Rhodes goals which among others include making the island climate-neutral by 2030, fully accessible for people with disabilities by 2025, plastic-free by 2027, increasing agricultural production by 50 percent, and creating new jobs.

“Tourism of the future will be sustainable; it will minimize its impact on the environment and maximize its positive effects on local communities and economies. This work program brings these three objectives together. With a holistic approach, we are not only improving tourism on the island, but also making Rhodes a better island for its inhabitants and a model for other destinations to follow,” said Hatzimarkos.

Described as an effort to establish Rhodes as a beacon for sustainable transformation, Co-Lab Rhodes aims through its targeted actions to protect natural resources, reduce emissions, strengthen the local economy, and safeguard social standards.

TUI Group CEO Sebastian Ebel, South Aegean Regional Governor Giorgos Hatzimarkos, Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni and TUI Care Foundation Chairman Thomas Ellerbeck.

“Cooperation with our local partners and in Athens shows how the public sector and companies can work together to move things forward. We need close and open dialogue with destinations in order to make the travel value chain more sustainable,” said Ebel.

Other projects under the Co-Lab Rhodes program include introducing electric buses to the island, improving the energy footprint of hotels, developing an efficient waste management system, increasing the island’s recycling rate, and upgrading cultural sites.

“Sustainability is not only part of our responsibility to the next generation, but also a crucial factor for the future of tourism. On the one hand, we need to ensure that tourism goes hand in hand with the protection and care of our natural and cultural resources. At the same time, initiatives such as Co-Lab Rhodes allow us to show that responsible tourism and economic success do not have to be opposites, but can be mutually reinforcing,” said Ellerbeck.

Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni.

Also speaking during the Athens event, Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni said the integration of green practices into tourism products and experiences was now, in the midst of the climate crisis, more crucial than ever. And this, she said, was evident in the increasing importance travelers now place on environmental protection and mindful travel.

The Co-Lab Rhodes plan was initially announced in 2022.