Tourism has been leading the way in recent years, reshaping the tourism product and the lives of residents to meet modern challenges, as environmental impacts, with climate change as a front, the need to manage local societies and the diversification of travel behavior make sustainability major priority.
At the same time, large companies integrate the ESG (Environment-Society-Governance) criterion in their strategy to form a common understanding of sustainable development, so that environmental-sustainable tourism is a dynamic developing pattern of economic development. Mass tourism (homo touristicus masse), on the contrary, is characterized by the strong unevenness of the quality of services provided by region, and the formation of an image of reduced credibility with stereotypes and ideologies, of the most beautiful country in the world, as the image of the Greek tourist product is particularly unclear and heterogeneous with an introverted approach.
Environmental tourism or sustainable or green tourism or ecotourism is related to the alternative forms and is addressed to a specialized audience that has particular needs and preferences, with the main axis being the protection of the environment. Mass tourism has short-term income, moreover, it can damage both the environment and the culture with the mass concentration of tourists in one place. Mass tourism in Greece, meaning coastal and holiday tourism, i.e. tourism of the 3S (Sun, Sand, Sea) impression that the Greek product causes abroad, with a rather confused image and focused on imitation.
The Greek tourism model must be modified and adopt the 4E variables. (Environment and clean nature), (Education, culture and history), (Events and mega events) and (Entertainment and fun).
Tourist incentives have changed, as tourists avoid expensive tourist packages by focusing their interest on nature and a clean environment, while they are more demanding in terms of the quality of their vacations for the use of the Internet, to be informed and determine the vacation program themselves according to their needs.
Tourism concerns us all. Hospitality is the guardian of the Greek way of life that is not copied or altered by international trends, because it is our identity and we must avoid the quantification and massification of tourism and focus on quality priorities.
In conclusion, the necessities of today’s times require us to strengthen our ability to respond with innovative technology and immediacy to the fluctuations of trends, with even higher added value and to reposition our upgraded product on the global tourism map.
Konstantinos Kouskoukis
Professor of Dermatology
Lawyer
President Hippocratic Academy of Thermal Medicine
President World Academy of Chinese & Complimentary Medicine