TUI Group, the TUI Care Foundation and the Government of the Southern Aegean Region, in Greece, are working in collaboration to develop the island of Rhodes into a shining example of a sustainability-centred holiday destination.

We’ve identified the areas in which we want to work with partners over the next five years to make Rhodes’ value chain more sustainable. We’ve broken them down into three key pillars…

1. Regenerate natural environments

The protection of biodiversity and the environment is to become an even more integral part of destination management, and work is being done to restore and preserve ecosystems across the island and in its surrounding waters.

2. Strengthen social development and cultural heritage

By developing the opportunities for local people working in Rhodes’ tourism industry and helping to regenerate urban areas across the island, we’re aiming to provide more opportunities and better living conditions, as well as encourage a fairer and more inclusive community. Throughout all this, we’re also helping to make sure the island’s culture and heritage are preserved.

3. Foster inclusive economic development in the tourism business model

We’re looking to usher in a new age of inclusivity, digitisation and sustainability for the whole island. To do this, Rhodes’ whole business model is being adapted and developed, including sustainability certifications for hotels and excursions, a local agriculture-focused supply chain and new digitised services – plus much more.

It’s a mix of three words – destination, collaboration and laboratory – and relates to a creative project that is bringing industry experts and local stakeholders together to develop sustainability-related ideas, in an effort to help transform and reshape a holiday destination to be greener and fairer at its core.

As part of the Destination Co-Lab Rhodes, we’re working with the local tourism industry and international partners to find concrete sustainable solutions, and develop and implement them on Rhodes. Plus, a think tank is being set up in Rhodes to bring together leading specialists from around the world.

Rhodes is one of the world’s top tourism destinations, and the island offers the best conditions to test innovations for more-sustainable tourism throughout the whole value chain. All the components that make up a holiday are in one place in the right, measurable scale. Hotels, airports, cruises, transfers and excursions – the scope and complexity of the challenge is at its clearest in Rhodes.