ATHENS – Τhe Greek tourism ministry and Google on Friday announced a new partnership for the accelerating a green and sustainable transformation of the Greek tourism industry, within the framework of the Delphi Economic Forum. The collaboration includes the creation of a new training programme for small and medium-sized tourism enterprises, in collaboration with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC).

Google also announced one million dollars in funding from Google.org to support organisations that help social enterprises in Greece, with an emphasis on sustainability and ecotourism. The transition of the Greek tourism industry to a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly growth model is a key priority in dealing with the inevitable consequences of the climate crisis.

According to a new survey conducted by the Institute for Tourism Research and Forecasting (ITEP) on behalf of Google and the Hotel Chamber of Greece, three out of four hotel owners consider the implementation of sustainability practices crucial for the future of their business, with 79 pct expressing interest in obtaining sustainability certification. However, only 41 pct consider their level of knowledge about sustainability practices to be satisfactory.