A Monitoring Centre for Sustainable Tourism Observatories was inaugurated last month, on the Aegean Islands.

This first Sustainable Tourism Observatory in Europe under the auspices of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) will monitor the environmental, social and economic impact of tourism in the archipelago, and serve as a pilot model to expand the concept to a national level in the future.

The Centre was established by the University of the Aegean (with Schools and Departments on the islands of Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Rhodes and Syros) in collaboration with the UNWTO and with the support of Greece’s Ministry of Tourism.

Its aim is to monitor and implement sustainable tourism practices in close cooperation with the  competent public and private sectors which are operational in the Aegean area.

"Greece is endowed with a rich cultural and natural heritage.It is evident that the relationship between tourism and the environment is a central concern of our national strategy," said Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni.


Set in the framework of Greece’s special action programme, in collaboration with key environmental partners, such as the Academy of Athens, "any initiative contributing to this purpose finds the active support of the Ministry of Tourism," she added. There are also five existing sustainable tourism observatories in China under the auspices of UNWTO.