Study: Greek Hoteliers Still Need to Learn About Sustainable Practices

Greek hoteliers still have a long way to go when it comes to environmental sustainability issues, according to a study released by Greece’s Institute for Tourism Research and Forecasts (ITEP) in collaboration with Google.

The study, examining the tourism sector’s actions towards sustainable transition, found that half of the country’s hoteliers have average knowledge of sustainability practices with those running smaller or family-owned hotels still lagging behind.

Hoteliers at larger units, members of chain hotel companies or certified facilities, appear to have satisfactory awareness of green practices and score higher in terms of implementation.

Additionally, according to ITEP, hoteliers on popular islands are more likely to have above average knowledge about environmental sustainability issues. Large and medium-sized hotels also have higher implementation rates compared to small or family-run units.

In this direction, total annual investments in environmental protection practices range from 8 percent to 11 percent of hotel turnover, the study found.

Findings also indicate that certified hotels acknowledge to a much greater extent the importance of adopting sustainable practices for the future of the hotel business compared to non-certified hotels. Hoteliers managing certified units were also more knowledgeable about green practices.

The tourism ministry in collaboration with Google and the World Council for Sustainable Tourism (GSTC) used the findings to create a new course aimed at helping tourism businesses accelerate their sustainable transformation and communicate their environmental actions.