By making small changes to the way we travel, we can all make a huge positive difference to the destination we love to visit. The impact will be on environment, people, society and culture! Have in mind that when you’re travelling, you are a guest in somebody else’s home. As well as taking care to respect the particular customs of your hosts, don’t do anything you wouldn’t do at home. Here are the basic guidelines for responsible behavior.

1. Minimize environmental impact

Tourism has of course positive impacts for any destination, but we must never forget that the environment and the natural resources is what we will deliver above all to the next generations in the next years. Our children must find sufficient recourses and a human environment to live.

  • Do not litter at any occasion. If you need to throw anything just keep it with you until you find trash or recycling bucket.
  • Dispose of rubbish carefully, recycle where possible, reuse your drink bottles and shopping bags. Separate your garbage and throw it in the appropriate bucket for recycling. In every city and village of our area, there are recycling buckets in short distances.
  • Dispose of cigarettes properly. Wild fires are a serious hazard especially during the hot and dry Greek summer.
  • Use water and energy sparingly. Take short showers rather than baths, reuse towels and bed linen rather than having them replaced daily, turn down/off air-conditioning or heating when not required, turn off all lights and appliances when you leave your room.

2. Respect the locals and their tradition

Respect the locals and their tradition. The Greek culture has a history of thousands of years and as you will find out, Greeks are very friendly and hospitable. Especially our area has managed all these years to maintain the pure Greek way of living and this is something that must not change. Respecting our culture, you will come closer to it, closer to the true Greece. You’ll have a better time if you do some research about the place before you visit and learn a few words of the local language. After all, this is your aim: discover the true Greece!

  • Dress and act appropriately.  Extreme dressing or behavior in a large number of visitors can significantly affect the local society.  Have in mind that locals prefer in general a simple appearance and their dressing is also simple.
  • Enjoy the famous Greek nightlife always with responsibility. Getting drunk and losing control is a very popular way to ruin your (and your company’s) holidays.

3. Buy local

Buy local. Part of the fun of a holiday is to search and discover new things to do or different food and drinks than those you are used to consume at home and you can only find here.  In this way you support the local market as the locals benefit more from your travel.

  • We have a big gastronomical tradition. Instead of consuming the same things, you can taste our local souvlaki, mousaka, tzatziki, the unique local cheese and honey and also try our local wines and ouzo.
  • Support the local stores and avoid big chains. Buying locally made souvenirs and eating and drinking at local cafes and restaurants are great ways to get into the holiday spirit, and also benefit the local community.
  • Avoid imported goods. You will find them easily at home and most possibly cheaper. Transportation raises their price and produce negative impact in the environment. Local producers do a hard work to deliver unique products to the market.they are waiting for you.

4. Pay a fair price

As Greece obeys in rules of free market, producers and tradespeople set what they consider to be a fair price. Pricing in Greece may be different from your country, because of the different production and transportation cost. Have in mind that it is normal for the local small stores to have a little higher prices than the big chains in usual goods. Lower prices most times hide lower salaries for the people participating in the production line.

  • Bargaining may not always be a nice behavior
  • If the price is negotiable, pay a price that is fair for the seller and maker

5. Get closer to the country you’re visiting

Get closer to the country you’re visiting by booking excursions with local suppliers such as tour operators, accommodation and tour guides – it will enrich your experience and help to support the local economy.  But if you are reading those lines, it means you’ve already done that!!! In the next chapter you will learn more about our responsible travel character.

6. Support community projects

If you want to gift money, support community projects rather than individuals. You can find more information about our activity in afforestation to our mountains in the next chapter.