One of the many Greek islands trying for sustainable tourism development is the island of Alonissos, the efforts of which have previously been recognized by National Geographic and the Green Destinations foundation.

Now the island is getting attention once more, featuring on British ABTA Magazine’s list of the world’s 7 best ecotourism destinations.

“Alonnisos has been promoting its green efforts for the past two decades. Part of the Sporades archipelago, floating in the Northern Aegean, the island is home to the Natural Marine Park of Alonnisos. Its limestone caves form the habitat of the Mediterranean monk seal – visitors can only encounter these endangered creatures as a rescue and rehabilitation volunteer,” the motivation reads. It also gives credit to the island’s unique natural underwater museum, the Peristera Shipwreck, which opened last year and which, with its wealth of archaeological treasures and incredibly rich sea life thanks to area’s protected marine park status, is a brilliant example of Greece’s sustainable tourism efforts.

The Greek archipelago is host to many environmental initiatives. In 2021, the islands of Halki and Astypalea in particular have received plenty of attention for their strive to achieve a neutral environmental footprint through projects which are likely to be implemented on more of the small islands soon. Before that, the hybrid wind and solar power station on Tilos earned plenty of international plaudits, while both cosmopolitan Paros and rural Donoussa, like Alonissos, have vowed to become plastic waste-free zones.