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UNIQUE PRIVATE TOURS FROM ATHENS GREECE
UNIQUE PRIVATE TOURS FROM ATHENS GREECE
HEALTHY FOOD – TRAVELING PRACTICES
Sustainable tourism is defined as “tourism that respects both local people and the traveler, cultural heritage and the environment”. It seeks to provide people with an exciting and educational holiday that is also of benefit to the people of the host country.
All tourism activities of whatever motivation – holidays, business travel, conferences, adventure travel, and ecotourism – need to be sustainable.
Although tourism is a significant economic driver, it can also be quite damaging to the planet’s environment and people. Overtourism is a common problem in some “hot spots” where degradation caused by inflow can vastly overwhelm even the benefits of tourism revenue, especially when that revenue is not distributed equitably.
COVID-19 was a stepping stone to help change the way people travel. This includes travelers, the authorities, and tourist businesses. Eudaimonia Private Tours has been taking our guests around the country we love and respect and sustainable tourism plays a big role in what we do. Way before the pandemic, we were committed to a code of best practices in all aspects of our business, especially our relationship with the environment, safety, the sites, and the communities that we visit. We also encourage our suppliers and clients to adopt similar practices.
Greece is in fact a “sustainable food destination” given the fact that its people are used to eating seasonally and, especially in the countryside, are still “growing vegetables, harvesting olives and preparing silky oil, and cooking up a storm with tomatoes, fresh fish and wild greens…”
Sustainable tourism is the way we become better tourism professionals and better travelers too. “Better” can be translated as:
☼ Positive ecological footprint.
☼ Still a decent profit for the business.
☼ Value for money for the traveler.
☼ Experiences and special moments.
☼ Not “touristy”, “mechanical”, and “faceless” visits with the crowds!
Sustainable tourism is the way to “use” tourism in a positive, constructive way for our land, the environment, our business, our local economy, and our clients. Both the businesses (us) and the travelers (you) should care more for the local community we visit. Respect it in all … respects!
EUDAIMONIA Private Tours supports and follows practices such as:
☼ Emphasis on local purchasing (supplies, food, materials, etc.
☼ Feature sustainable practices in marketing and advertising.
☼ Emphasis on local hiring (guides, etc).
☼ Recycling.
☼ Promotion of secondary (less popular) destinations.
Tourism Unions, destination authorities, and governments don’t really, so it is we the tourism professionals who have to promote sustainable tourism and at the same time help our business to stand out!
We believe that avoiding the negative footprint fits together with the quality of service that the traveler will enjoy! An example of this is that we visit beautiful local communities that are not yet exposed and are not spoilt by mass tourism! We help these local economies and in return, we get the best value for money possible: quality, authenticity, politeness, privacy, and more. Bottom line? We know these local community people by their first name and they are authentically happy to see us and you!
It’s a way of life for us Greeks. It’s embedded in our DNA, and throughout the country, generous and passionate locals share their knowledge with travelers, coupling fantastic fresh cooking with back-to-nature activities such as trekking through diverse landscapes
People make a difference!
We only use brand new vehicles, 2020-2023 make. This is 4-door large saloons & SUVs for 1-3 people or large minivans for 3-8 people. We operate vehicles with no more than the necessary horsepower to drive smoothly but fast and save time by avoiding touristy stops. We are here to offer relaxed, very comfortable & safe, worry-free, quality services. This is done with spotless, large vehicles & with tour leaders/drivers that are part of our family. We blend in with the local life & not “stand out” with faceless, mechanical, pretentious drivers & unsuitable vehicles.
We avoid and discourage any touristy stops for shopping (souvenirs, ceramics, pottery, etc). At the same time, we highly encourage visiting unique and authentic places or local communities where you get more than value for money. It can be small local souvenirs in beautiful villages with very hospitable owners, or producers of organic products like honey, fruits and vegetables, meat, herbs and olive oil. Visiting a real olive press (from October to January) is a great experience and if we are allowed to buy and taste is even more amazing!
All our drivers are required to drive in a smooth, safe and considerate manner but also without wasting your time. This is vital for safety and passenger comfort, but smooth driving also significantly reduces fuel consumption and wear and tear on vehicles. Sustainable tourism plays a big role in what we do and the future of our kids and our planet!
Our tour leaders carry rubbish bags in their travel kits. At every chance/stop they will clean up the car and throw away anything you don’t need making the car presentable and hoping you will respect their efforts. In fact, our guides will even pick up rubbish that other visitors have left behind. When first entering the car you will find a spotless interior.
At Eudaimonia Athens Private Tours, we always use small local providers & producers. This includes our lunch stops (as organic as possible) that the locals prefer, stylish & unique accommodation, local activities (rafting, hiking, snorkeling), purchasing local products, visits to farms & olive oil presses, and of course food or even home cooked meals. Accommodation and tavernas are all owned and run locally and are all fully tested. We totally avoid all faceless businesses and support local businesses and service providers.
We treat the areas and communities we visit with the greatest respect and try to build strong relationships with local people. Our aim is to be a very welcome sight. Our tours are off the beaten track, bringing valuable tourism income to some less-visited areas and small businesses of Greece. The majority of our suppliers are locally-owned and so the revenue we bring to the local economy is very much appreciated. Tours planned in this manner end up to be ideal for both our country and yourselves who are not treated as “tourists”!
A highlight of our tours is meeting and interacting with the locals in all areas that we visit. All of our accommodation hosts and representatives at the sites are local and are always pleased to greet our visitors with the well known Greek hospitality. So don’t be surprised if you get treated as a local yourselves … with a handshake, a free drink, a snack, a dessert, or a smile.
Since our tour groups are small of our Athens Private Tours, our presence isn’t usually felt. However, we always emphasize to our guests to be respectful of others, especially in places of great beauty and local communities. We also emphasize the need to respect the rules of certain establishments such as churches and monasteries in terms of dress code, noise levels and manners.