SETE: New Initiative to Put Greek Tourism Businesses on the Road to Sustainability

The Greek Tourism Confederation (SETE) is taking decisive steps to facilitate Greece’s tourism enterprises in transitioning to sustainability.

The initiative, unveiled by the confederation’s president, Yiannis Paraschis, during SETE’s 32nd General Assembly on Thursday, is named METRON Sustainable Tourism and is an integrated program encompassing self-assessment, control, training, compliance, commitment, goal-setting, re-evaluation, and certification for tourism businesses.

“Our goal is to foster the commitment and transition of tourism businesses towards sustainable practices,” Paraschis stated.

The pilot phase of “METRON Sustainable Tourism by SETE” will commence in selected companies in the latter half of 2024, followed by a broader rollout based on an electronic platform.

Paraschis outlined the initial focus on measuring five key indicators: Energy Consumption, Water Consumption, Waste Production and Management, Labor Issues, and Social Footprint across sectors such as hospitality (hotels), air transport, sea transport, land transport, and travel agencies.

SETE President Yiannis Paraschis.

SETE, in collaboration with INSETE, Marketing Greece, and specialized sustainability consultants in the tourism sector, will provide the methodology and necessary tools for measuring these indicators.

Additionally, Paraschis highlighted ongoing discussions with the Tourism Ministry and the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels to leverage synergies for the benefit of tourism businesses.