The Sustainability Story of The Calilo Group on The Greek Island of Ios

Greek islands, a touristic destination with their own consistent fans.

The uniqueness of the island landscape and the Greek hospitality are an unbeatable enticement for those who wish to have a truly original holiday experience.

At the same time, the more people seek to find themselves on a Greek island during the summer months, the more people stand skeptical or even express their concern about the sustainability of the tourist profile of certain islands, referring to a situation of their complete transformation. In a broader context, an extensive dialogue has opened on the general character of the Greek tourism product, with the debate revolving around the optimal tourism development model that Greece should strategically follow.

Although tourism development has traditionally had a positive impact on national and local economies, sudden socio-economic fluctuations have led to the emergence of significantly harmful effects on the social and natural environment of many Greek islands. In the age of Instagram reality, overtourism is emerging as the ultimate threat to many regions of the planet. The excessive demand and the large number of visitors to specific destinations result in the pressure of infrastructure, unorderly building or low-quality services, that lead to “Instagram Vs Reality” images that unfortunately are not the best advertisement for a given destination.

Moreover, revenge tourism that followed the pandemic, has added to both optimism and concerns. Those concerns do not seem far away at all from the Greek reality. It is often that picturesque islands across the alluring Greek blue sea “sink” at the peak of the season, small villages without infrastructure receive more visitors than they can support, tons of plastic and garbage threaten the country’s marine ecosystem.

In this context, sustainability and tourism, in a country where tourism is the “heavy industry” for the national economy, appear as disconnected concepts. It seems that the risks from overtourism begin to be felt in the country. The Greek government has set a strategic choice to shift to a tourism development model focused on sustainability and quality tourism. Besides, the roots of overtourism are mainly found in the mismanagement of development dynamics. There is therefore a broader distribution of responsibilities, not limited to the actions of state policies and local actors.

Much of the responsibility remains with the tourism sector itself, including private initiative and investment activity. Investment efforts that ensure the country’s tourism product is both reformed and protected from unorder and unplanned overbuilding may be the only chance to achieve sustainable tourism development. It is the only opportunity for Greek tourism to protect the natural beauty of each tourist destination, without repressing the infrastructure of the local community, which is often unable to bear the burden of asymmetrical tourism development.

It is obvious that the currency of Greek tourism also has the other side, which is that of destinations being degraded, with the main feature being the deterioration, and in some cases even destruction of the natural landscape. Greek tourism needs a sustainable development model in which any kind of business activity or investment initiative will guarantee not only the preservation of the quality and authenticity of the country’s tourist product, but also the protection of the natural environment of the destinations, so that environmental destruction phenomena are eliminated.

The need for sustainable choices is an issue for all sectors of modern life. The transition to new, innovative business development models that meet the basic principles of sustainability is a one-way path for today’s economic and investment activity. In the case of Greece, if there is one sector that needs sustainable development more than any other, that is certainly tourism. Sustainable tourism development in the country can only be based on investment projects that create the conditions for the flourishing of a different type of tourism, which is not based on overbuilding and does not alter the unique character and identity of each destination. Greece needs tourism investments that combine the traditional touch with the most modern innovations that tourism sector has to offer in terms of services, whilst also respecting local communities and the natural beauty of the destinations.

Calilo’s Answer to The Challenges of Sustainable Tourism

There is ultimately one question to be answered in Greece; what the type of tourism is to be pursued. A tourism development based on numbers? Or a tourism development that comes through investment that is implemented considering the qualitative characteristics of the visitors we want to attract? A tourism development that is highly interventionist for the subjected destination? Or a tourism development that is gentle and fully respectful of the environment, while entailing at the same time high quality services?

For Calilo Group, a family business on the small island of Ios in Cyclades of the Aegean Sea, the answer is obvious. A model of tourism development based on the principles of sustainability is the only option in the search for a new era for Greek tourism. “In the battle between humans and nature, there is no winner, only losers” is the philosophy that follows the tourism development model pursued by the family of the Calilo Group in the Cycladic island of Ios.

The tourist investment of the Calilo Group, owned by Angelos Michalopoulos’ family, on the island of Ios, has adopted a basic principle of sustainable development, according to which landscapes and destinations that remain untouched over time are those where man cooperates with nature instead of fighting it. Thus, it is a non-negotiable goal of their investment activity on the island to be carried out in terms of sustainability, through low-level building and protection of the natural beauty of the island.

The business model applied by the Calilo Group is essentially the golden mean for the development of a profitable travel destination in terms of sustainability. The massive development of overtourism destroys, among other things, the uniqueness of a destination and consequently its long-term social and economic development. On the other hand, the choice of zero or conservative development of a destination entails the risk of economic degradation for the local community with unforeseen consequences, including unregulated development and the dangers of overtourism phenomena. However, the adoption of a model, like the one promoted by the Calilo Group in Ios, that is based on limited construction and high-quality accommodation and services, and applying the strictest environmental conditions, appears to be the most viable option to avoid overtourism and its dramatic consequences as observed in some Greek islands and worldwide.

The Group’s initiatives promote sustainable tourism, incorporating a philosophy that promotes gentle tourism development, with high quality services and significant added value for the local community. Their design, based on the principles of sustainability, exploits the specific characteristics of the natural and cultural environment, whilst also considering the carrying capacity of the natural resources and infrastructure of the island of Ios, so that they can be integrated as smoothly as possible into it.

The main objective for the implementation of the Group’s investment visions remains the preservation of the quality and authenticity of the tourist experience provided to visitors, attracting visitors from every corner of the world having an interest in getting in touch with the genuineness of the island and discovering its secrets in a way that respects the natural beauty and does not disturb the balance of the local environment. At the same time, in this way the daily life and well-being of the local community is preserved, without brutally affecting the way and rhythm of their lives.

The global trend of slow travelling seems like the perfect choice for sustainable tourism development, and the island of Ios is the ideal candidate to bring it to Greece that obviously needs it. However, this solution must come through a sustainable tourism investment. The family behind the Calilo Group has understood that the wealth of the island is not only the sun and the sea, but also the history of the island, the rhythm of life of the locals, the unique customs, the local cuisine, and the natural landscape.

The Group, therefore, plans its remarkable engagement on the island based on that approach. Slow travelling is radically changing the mindset of tourists that consciously slow down the pace at which they spend and consume the most precious asset of their travelling: quality time. That is precisely the experience that the Calilo people are committed to preserving on the island of Ios. The sustainable tourism model, which they promote on the island, generates high added value for the local community and, by offering authentic life experiences on the island, it leads its development into a new era of upgraded travel profile, becoming a model for the alteration of the Greek tourism product.

In fact, the investment on the island, which is one of the largest private investments of coastal land in the Mediterranean, is driven by the genuine love of Calilo family for Ios that has a vision to transform it to a magic destination with positive aura that will be unlike any other. The project is being completed in close collaboration with the local community, thus providing direct economic benefits to the local population. The construction of the landmark Calilo Resort, as well as the rest of the Group’s accommodation on the island, was carried out by applying traditional building techniques, by local craftsmen, using building materials sourced from the site itself.

Applying a particularly low building rate, the family’s commitment is to build on just 1% of their property, instead of the 10% allowed for tourism investment in the country, leaving the rest unbuilt, untouched, authentic. This way, the cultural and natural heritage of the island will be safeguarded, protecting it from overdevelopment and deterioration that follows mass and disorganized tourism.

Moreover, more than 80% of the total area of the Group’s investments are saved as ‘Conservation Areas’, where the forest character and natural landscape is preserved, and any form of building is prohibited. Only forest and grassland amelioration projects are permitted, and any interventions are the result of an environmental assessment, remain at an extremely limited scale, using natural materials and with a minimized environmental footprint.

The Calilo Group is also implementing a series of parallel actions aimed at implementing its eco-friendly approach and reducing its environmental footprint. Those examples include the construction of rainwater harvesting tanks to deal with water scarcity and fire protection, which is of utmost importance for small Greek islands. At the same time, it implements actions of circular economy, water and energy saving in its facilities, as well as actions to raise awareness of the local community. The Group has also ensured a series of environmental certifications for its operation, while it plans to implement a saltwater supply system for the swimming pools and the creation of an Observatory for measuring its environmental footprint. The family also cooperates with high-profile institutions for the implementation of a program to tackle plastic pollution on the island.

Particularly important is the Group’s work with tree planting activities on the island. Its “Elektra Olive Tree Project ” is a landmark initiative that has been implemented by the family since 2013. It is a natural environment conservation initiative aimed at restoring the habitat previously destroyed by wildfires and deforestation. To date, more than 68,000 olive trees and bushes have been planted around the island; with another 20,000 being planned for this year. In addition, through this project, 625 ancient olive trees (most of them over 300 years old), which were about to be cut down and sold for firewood in mainland Greece, have been rescued. They were transported to Ios, where they were given a second chance to continue their super-aged life. Importantly, 97% of them have survived and are now thriving on the island that is their new home.

The guests of Calilo resort are also involved in this by taking part in the effort. In fact, they have the opportunity to adopt one of the ancient olive trees, gaining the privilege of choosing an ancient Greek name to name their tree. In this way, their connection with nature acquires a name and substance. They come closer to Greek nature and tradition, and at the same time create emotional ties with the island through their relationship with Aphrodite, Electra, Hermes, Niobe, Athina and the other trees of the project. As a result, they return to the island – because, as we all know, “you return to where you love” – and there have been cases of them undertaking investment initiatives, thus strengthening the local economy and community.

All in all, sustainable tourism development requires holistic investment plans that incorporate sustainability principles through substantial corporate responsibility actions, aiming to protect local communities from overtourism and degradation of the natural environment, crucial especially for destinations such as the vulnerable ecosystems of the small Cycladic islands in Greece. The Calilo Group believes in an environmentally focused approach in its tourism investments as being of particular importance to preserve the special character of the island of Ios for today’s and future generations.