Sustainability
“Sustainability isn’t just a buzzword, it’s a crucial mindset for securing a thriving future on our planet, and it is the foundation of Sustainable Tourism in Greece.”
Travelling has a powerful effect, both good and bad. Here at “Explore Messinia” we understand the importance of being conscious about our impact on this planet like looking after your own home!
Our Sustainable Tourism Policy in Greece
Travel that gives back
At our core, we are committed to delivering life-changing experiences in a way that supports and nurtures both nature and culture. We pursue sustainability from the very first step. This begins with resource conservation and vetting suppliers for their green initiatives. We also educate clients on how to be environmentally responsible without compromising their enjoyment.
As a leading advocate for Sustainable Tourism in Greece, we believe the best way to appreciate nature is to experience it responsibly. Our low-impact adventures, including Sea Kayaking, Hiking, and Canyoning, are specifically designed to leave no trace. By choosing human-powered transport, we ensure that our guests can explore the stunning Peloponnese coastline and mountains without the noise or pollution of motorized vehicles.
This commitment extends far beyond our local borders, we believe that responsible travel is a catalyst for global change. We proudly promote sustainable practices to foster equal rights for all people around the globe while simultaneously protecting natural resources so future generations can live in an environment that is clean and abundant with opportunity.
We have recently joined the TraveLife program, through the SUSTOUR project to implement a systematic process, which shall receive approval by an external, accredited company. “Explore Messinia” office has created a sustainability team of 3 persons and has appointed a sustainability coordinator, who invest time every week to improve the sustainability performance of the company.
We are now working on the “TraveLife Partner” label (committed to sustainability). The next goal will be accomplishing the “TraveLife Certified” label (excellence in sustainability). We aim to constantly improve our sustainability performance. It will be an everlasting process that will be carried out by setting goals, implementing and revising strategies and actions every year.
For sustainability related questions and feedback You can reach directly our Sustainability Coordinator Mr. Fotis Kontargiris on fotis@exploremessinia.com
How we work
Our commitments, in practice
Sustainability Management and Legal Compliance
- Having a trained sustainability coordinator and sustainability team.
- Networking and sharing experiences, training materials and best practices about sustainability with our partners.
- Supporting local/national sustainability initiatives (nature protection / community development projects).
- Creating and implementing an evaluation method of the sustainability performance of our suppliers.
- Having a sustainability mission, policy and action plan to guide us and which identify long/medium/short term goals and how to achieve them.
- Implementing an evaluation system to monitor the goals’ achievement.
Social Policy and Human Rights
- Creating specific role descriptions and company general goals and providing fair working conditions, training and development that match the role of each member of staff.
- Regularly measuring employee satisfaction.
Procurement
- Reducing disposable and consumable goods, reducing waste and scrupulously differentiating it.
- Reducing paper use to what is compulsory by law or strictly necessary.
- Using recycled paper for all printed materials in the office.
- Making use of green cleaning materials.
- Gradually migrating to a sustainable energy supplier.
- Monitoring energy consumption and implementing ways to reduce it (e.g. giving preference to low energy equipment when possible, using a switch-off computer system etc…).
- Completely minimize and outsourcing our print needs.
- Training all members of staff regarding sustainability and issuing sustainability guidelines, having in mind the 3 objectives: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle;
- Introducing a staff travel policy and employee incentives to promote the use of green transport/reduce transport;
- Calculating and gradually compensating for the carbon emissions of our business.
- Gradually replacing printed paper with digital platforms where the travel information is available to our clients (App, digital tracks, PDF documents, etc…)
Communication – transport, accommodation, activities and tour leaders
- In designing our itineraries and planning logistics, minimizing the use of air transport, promoting ground solutions.
- Releasing a sustainability policy for each supplier category that promotes certification and/or the improvement of the supplier’s sustainability performance, by giving preference to certified/sustainable suppliers whenever possible in terms of prices, quality and logistics.
- Embedding sustainability clauses in the contract conditions of our partners, which shall include the protection of local natural and human resources, fair working conditions, child protection, the repudiation of forced labour, sexual exploitation and discrimination of any kind.
- Creating training content/guidelines and suggesting solutions to improve the sustainability performance of our suppliers, including tour leaders.
- Hiring qualified professional tour leaders granting fair working conditions.
- Regularly communicating with our B2B and B2C clients regarding our sustainability policy, goals and results, promoting sustainability practices at home and on holiday.
- Encouraging our clients to adopt environmental conservation actions and respect for local populations during their trips, through roadbooks, destination manuals and social media content (where available).