The Mediterranean Village Hotel and Spa received a global award, winning the first prize in the international Best Practices competition for coasts that have been awarded the Blue Flag of the FEE (Foundation for Environmental Education), in the thematic section “Energy savings and management “.
The five-star hotel unit awarded by the Tourism Awards 2023, owned by the company VASILIOS LAMPROU XENODOCHEIAKES EPICHIRISIS S.A., located in Katerini, N. Pieria, managed to stand out in the global competition for its good practices, in which it invests on multiple levels, as it seeks to become “green”, i.e. to reduce its waste by at least 80% and to become energy independent, limiting its energy footprint as much as possible. To achieve this, it implements a series of actions in collaboration with the National Center for Research and Technological Development (EKETA).
This year’s competition, as established by the International Coordination Office, in the framework of the “Blue Flag” Program, was about the best practices implemented in award-winning coasts, marinas or tourist boats and had two thematic sections: Energy management and conservation and access for all/Accessibility.
“This is an additional recognition of our efforts”, said the Managing Director of MEDITERRANEAN HOTELS, Evangelia Xyptera, who emphasized that this award is another way to recognize the efforts made by the Group, for sustainable development and sustainability . “Our goal is for our actions to be known and to inspire others to follow our example. After all, we are here to help and share our know-how with anyone who wants it. The awards are not the goal but the means to spread an overall effort, a struggle fueled by our love for the place, tourism and the need to bequeath to the new generation a healthy system”, added Ms. Xyptera.
It is noted that the “Blue Flag” is a global (more than 50 countries around the world) quality symbol, which is awarded with strict criteria to organized beaches and marinas managed by coastal municipalities, hoteliers and other entities or to boats that meet the relevant criteria.
The voluntary “BLUE FLAG” Program was first piloted in France in 1985, but its actual launch was on June 5, 1987, International Environment Day, when it was presented to the Council of Europe and the European Union as “original Environmental Action for beaches with a large number of bathers”.
Since 2000, 49 countries from almost all continents, that is, not only Europe, have participated in this voluntary program, and the responsible international operator of the Program, Fee (Foundation for Environmental Education), in collaboration with the Coordinators of of its member countries, reforms the award criteria from time to time, constantly making their application stricter, with the aim of improving, for their visitors, the conditions on the coasts and marinas that are awarded. In Greece, the responsible administrator of the Program is the Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature.
