Welcome to Lesvos

By project TOURBO

Published on 29 November 2024

Greece

About this good practice

Lesvos experienced an 80% drop in tourism following the 2015 refugee crisis, which greatly damaged its image as a holiday destination. Businesses dependent on tourism suffered drastically, highlighting the need for a strategy to restore the island’s economy and reshape its reputation. In response, the www.welcometolesvos.com platform emerged as an innovative solution by leveraging sustainable tourism, positive storytelling, and community engagement.
Objectives & Implementation
• Reviving Tourism via storytelling & highlighting geographical, natural, gastronomical and cultural routes
• Promoting Sustainable Tourism by promoting engagement with locals, introducing alternative tourism trends such as hiking and wellness, & by making Lesvos a year-round destination.
• Public and Private Sector Unity by aligning goals and avoiding fragmented efforts.
• Mapping Local Resources, businesses, producers, and products
• Creating an Easy-to-Use Portal: with detailed info, images, and videos for visitors and professionals.
• Visibility and Social Media Campaigns: Targeted Google Ads and social media strategies have increased traffic to the platform and bolstered awareness of Lesvos, helping to revive the island’s tourism industry.
Main stakeholders: local businesses, tourism associations, unions, the public sector, cultural organizations, artists, and craftsmen. Beneficiaries: range from local residents, tourists, and educational institutions to tour operators and transportation companies.

Expert opinion

Welcome to Lesvos is a good example how the local authorities, together with citizens and private businesses have worked to create a more diverse (less seasonal), more inclusive and more sustainable tourism industry. The practice highlights that building trust and shared ownership between political and private stakeholders has been critical for creating a united vision under one platform. Having a united platform also helps brand and position Lesvos in the global tourism space. It is noteworthy that it has also created opportunities for marginalized groups. Considering the collaboration was initiated and the platform created as a response to a crisis it offers rich insights to other territories that suffer from reputational damages due to external reasons (e.g. territories bordering Russia which are now perceived less safe for travel).

Mart Veliste

Works at Interreg Europe Policy Learning Platform

Resources needed

Initiative funded solely by West Lesvos Municipality.
It included external technical resources for the website design (some 25.000 euros) and its maintenance (average +- 4.000 euros/year), as well as H.R. (1 civil servant, participation of Deputy Mayor and contributions from +- 100 stakeholders)

Evidence of success

B2B & B2C synergies: SMEs like hotels, restaurants, and tour companies use the platform for free to boost visibility, attract customers, network, and cross-promote services.
More professionalism: SMEs have improved services and facilities due to awareness of direct competition.
Increasing Stakeholder Trust: The project won a Gold medal for “ Creating and Strengthening collaboration between organizations and businesses ” and a Silver medal for “Innovative Concept” at the Greek Tourism Awards.

Potential for learning or transfer

The www.welcometolesvos.com initiative showcases a model of community-based, sustainable tourism and demonstrates how regions can promote tourism while addressing socio-economic challenges via:
Political and Community Collaboration: Building trust and shared ownership between political and private stakeholders was critical for creating a united vision under one platform.
Inclusivity: Opportunities for marginalized groups, such as the LGBT community to showcase a model of social inclusion.
Sustainable Tourism: Promotion gastronomical, religious, cultural, wellness and eco-friendly experiences.
Crisis to Opportunity: Lesvos transformed its negative image from the refugee crisis into a narrative of resilience and hospitality, a model for regions facing crises to rebuild through tourism.
Resource Optimization: Limited resources led the Municipality of West Lesvos to work with local experts, pooling existing content and services, creating a "one-stop" portal for visitors and businesses.