Reimagining tourism: Eco-villages for a sustainable future

"[With its] unique island geography, Greece serves as an ideal model for implementing eco-village initiatives," James Ehrlich, director of compassionate sustainability at Stanford University, said during a discussion on sustainable tourism at Kathimerini's "Reimagine Tourism in Greece" conference on Wednesday. 

In a conversation moderated by Kathimerini journalist Iliana Magra, Ehrlich and Paloma Zapata, CEO of Sustainable Travel International, explored the concept of eco-villages as a sustainable tourism model. These self-sufficient communities are designed to integrate sustainable living practices with local ecosystems, focusing on renewable energy, waste management and permaculture.

"There's a wave of people who want to live closer to nature… we saw it after the pandemic," Ehrlich said, adding that the trend represents a significant shift in traveler preferences. <...