Our team’s long-standing engagement with sustainable mobility, combined with our work in a country where tourism plays a central role in the economy, led us early on to explore in depth issues related to transport and tourism.
Our projects on sustainable tourism
Our most significant projects directly related to sustainable tourism include:
- LOCATIONS. An Interreg MED project in which we acted as mobility experts, leading the development of a “Low-Carbon Strategy for Cruise Passenger Mobility in the City of Limassol.” The strategy was developed in cooperation with the Cyprus Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works, the Municipality of Limassol, and the Limassol Port Authority.
- URBAN TRANSPORTS. An Interreg MED project in which we served as Work Package Leaders, contributing to the drafting and translation of several policy guides, including the guide «Tourism and Mobility in the Mediterranean.». Within the same project, we also collaborated with Dr Ioanna Pagoni, Assistant Professor at the University of the Aegean, to develop the digital educational material for the e-course «#04_ Sustainable Tourism and Mobility for the Mediterranean». As part of the project, we organised the international conference «Mediterranean Mobility Forum» at the OTE facilities in Athens.
- INCIRCLE. Our most focused project on sustainable tourism, addressing the promotion of circular economy principles in tourism, particularly in island and sparsely populated coastal areas.
The project was implemented under the Interreg MED programme, where we participated as official partners and work package leaders, responsible for the project’s communication activities and for providing technical support to the Municipality of Rethymno, the Municipality of Larnaca, and the Region of Crete. During the final phase of the project, we collaborated with the Region of Attica to develop a comprehensive «Circular Tourism Strategy for the Islands of the Attica Regional Unit», which was formally approved by the Regional Council of Attica. Within the same framework, we also organised a three-day Circular Tourism event in Aegina, bringing together participants from the islands of the Saronic Gulf and from Athens.
- ECOZANI. An ongoing project funded by the European Urban Initiative, in which we serve as Work Package Leaders. Our role includes drafting the project Roadmap, contributing to urban acupuncture interventions and capacity-building activities for municipal staff from a mobility expert perspective, conducting a networking study of the city’s main attraction points (with a focus on the traditional Carnival “Fanoi”), establishing a Network of Cities hosting large-scale cultural events, and organising the annual EcoZani Festival. The project aims to transform Kozani’s traditional Carnival into a large-scale festival of sustainability, acting as a catalyst for the creation of new green jobs while helping the city move more rapidly towards its goal of becoming a climate-neutral city.
Our work on tourism destinations
Through projects indirectly related to sustainable tourism, we have also developed strategies and sustainable mobility solutions for tourist destinations such as the Municipality of Rethymno (SMARTMOBAIR / Interreg IPA ADRION) and the Municipality of Heraklion, Crete (SPINE / Horizon Europe).
Particular reference should be made to the Sustainable Island Mobility Plan and the methodology we developed in collaboration with the University of the Aegean. Part of the SIMPs was developed for the Municipalities of Sifnos, Kea, and Naxos and Small Cyclades.
An earlier strand of our work includes initiatives focused on the promotion of historic trail networks on the islands of Symi, Tilos, and Lipsi, with the most prominent example being the crowdfunding campaign for the trails of Folegandros.
Particularly noteworthy is also our participation in the promotion and redevelopment of the Vlore–Orikum coastal axis in Albania.
Our plans for the future
Our goal for the coming years is to geographically expand the methodologies we have developed for sustainable mobility and circular tourism on the Greek islands.
By “geographical expansion,” we refer both to the application of our methodologies in island regions outside Greece and to their adaptation to mountainous tourism destinations, which often face challenges similar to those of island areas.
Another key objective is the full development and implementation of strategic plans and the projects and policies they propose in specific regions of Greece.
One such area is the Saronic Islands cluster, where we have already expanded our activities through cultural initiatives such as the Aegina Jazz Festival.
Similar initiatives, including climate festivals in schools, have been implemented in tourist areas of Attica, such as the Municipality of Vari–Voula–Vouliagmeni, in island tourism cities such as Heraklion, Crete, and in mountainous tourism destinations such as Karpenisi. These are initiatives we intend to continue and further develop.
Partner institutions and local authorities
Ministries: Ministry of Environment and Energy (Green Fund), Greece, Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works, Cyprus.
Regions: Region of Attica, Region of Crete.
Municipalities: Municipality of Rethymno, Municipality of Heraklion Crete, Municipality of Kozani, Municipality of Karpenisi, Municipality of Vari Voula Vouliagmeni, Municipality of Sifnos, Municipality of Kea, Municipality of Naxos and Small Cyclades, Municipality of Aegina, Municipality of Limassol, Municipality of Larnaca, and others.