Ecological organisation representatives recently met with Hellenic Tourism Organisation (EOT) officials as part of an exchange of views on tourism development and the environment<.>. Their aim? To consider the potential for sustainable tourism within a sustainable environment. EOT<.> general secretary Evgenios Yiannakopoulos headed the discussion between tourism authority officials, the World Wide Fund for Nature`s Greek branch, the Hellenic Association for the Protection of the Environment, the reek Ornithological Society and the Sea Turtle Protection Society. Among issues covered at the meeting were the following:
Raising awareness of the environment`s role as a tourism resource among tourist enterprises, local authorities and individuals and the need to protect it.
Educating and informing employees in related areas on environmental management.
Developing ecotourism.
Promoting the country`s important ecosystems through special publications.
Yiannakopoulos also proposed the establishment of a framework of cooperation and a specific plan of action, which should be drawn up by a working group made up of EOT staff and environmental group members. He suggested that two-day meetings on a variety of issues be held regularly.