The Rhodes Co-Lab: Sustainable Destination initiative is moving from planning to measurable results, according to a review held during a visit to Rhodes by TUI Group Chief Executive Sebastian Ebel and TUI Care Foundation Chairman Thomas Ellerbeck.
The international initiative aims to make Rhodes a model sustainable tourism destination. The two TUI representatives met South Aegean Regional Governor Giorgos Hatzimarkos to assess progress.
Also present were Deputy Regional Governor Apostolos Asprakis, Deputy Regional Governor for Culture Christos Michalakis, project director Angeliki Chondromatidou and the joint project management team: TUI project manager Inga Meyer, sustainability adviser Cheryl Novak, coordination lead Vangelis Georgiou and communications lead Vasia Papailia.
The extended working meeting focused exclusively on evaluating and accelerating the flagship actions already under way.
PPC joins the electric-mobility partnership
The meeting highlighted the project's ability to attract major partners, with PPC joining as a new strategic partner.
The partnership between the Region, PPC, TUI Group and market organisations is taking shape through plans for Rhodes' first integrated electric-mobility network.
The first phase, scheduled for 2026, provides for 20 to 25 charging stations for electric cars and two-wheelers, laying the foundations for a major change in transport on the island.
The Governor also briefed TUI's leadership on the South Aegean Waste Management Agency's home-composting programme, described as the largest programme of its kind currently running in Greece. A total of 7,810 home composters have already been distributed.
The target for the following three months is for one-third of Rhodes' population to practise composting at home.
The drive to reduce the environmental footprint also extends to hotels. The agency is collecting organic-waste data from 20 hotels over five months to guide targeted circular-economy interventions.
A showroom and practical sustainability projects
Work is progressing on a dedicated Rhodes Co-Lab showroom: an interactive exhibition space where residents and visitors will be able to explore the island's green future in aviation, cruises, hospitality and energy.
The discussion covered the full range of sustainable development and projects with a significant local impact.
TUI Field to Fork links local agricultural production with Rhodes hotels and trains producers in regenerative agriculture. The Region expressed a clear wish to expand the initiative.
Sustainable Beach Vlycha aims to make Vlycha Greece's first certified sustainable beach, through a three-year plan whose model could be replicated elsewhere.
TUI Forest involves creating a model forest near Panagia Ypseni Monastery, in cooperation with the organisation “For Nature”, as a symbol of environmental regeneration and resilience.
The partners also considered a further wave of initiatives, including recycling plans for Rhodes Airport and extending electric mobility to rental vehicles.
Statements from the partners
Regional Governor Giorgos Hatzimarkos said:
“The Rhodes Co-Lab demonstrates in practice what cooperation between the public and private sectors can achieve when there are shared principles and commitment. We have the honour of working with the global tourism leader — a sign of trust that fills us with responsibility and pride.
“From the outset, the initiative was especially ambitious. Today, it is extremely encouraging to see ambition become reality, and plans become specific projects and measurable results. In an international environment full of challenges, Rhodes continues to move towards the future with steady, hopeful steps.”
TUI Group Chief Executive Sebastian Ebel said:
“TUI's sustainability strategy is producing tangible results. Alongside its environmental necessity, sustainability is increasingly becoming an economic opportunity.
“On Rhodes in particular, it is clear that using solar energy, managing water resources responsibly and introducing innovative electric-mobility solutions bring significant benefits for visitors, employees and the local community.
“Rhodes is doing excellent work in this field and, despite the particularly demanding international environment, is recording high demand combined with an impressive quality of service.”
