Athens Joins GSTC

Athens Development and Destination Management Agency has joined the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) as a destination member.

Athens Development and Destination Management Agency (ADDMA) supports Athens’ ongoing evolution as a contemporary European capital, by designing, planning and implementing a wide range of projects throughout its metropolitan area.

ADDMA plays a pivotal role in supporting the City of Athens to deliver its integrated development strategic plan, to establish Athens as an attractive, accessible and sustainable destination for its residents, visitors, investors and entrepreneurs.

It serves as the official tourism board of the city, operating the Athens Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACVB), the city’s official Destination Management Organization. It also manages THIS IS ATHENS, the official City of Athens guide portal and runs integrated marketing campaigns promoting Athens as a destination.

Moreover, ADDMA plans, implements and manages actions and projects that address social cohesion, promote urban sustainability, and boost competitiveness and entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation. Through its Intermediate Body, ADDMA has been successfully managing NSRF funds, in accordance with the objectives of the City of Athens.

Sustainability Partnership

“This partnership will help ADDMA to orient the local tourism sector toward our sustainability goals. We will do more to protect our cultural heritage while helping tourism businesses to participate in the award-winning strategy for climate action developed by the municipality. Already Athens is putting down the foundations by rebuilding squares, streets, and sidewalks to ensure that they are accessible and ready for sustainable transportation. We can right-size our industry to reduce pressures from over-tourism and we can improve access to its benefits.” stated Evangelos Vlachos, ADDMA CEO.

GSTC Welcomes Athens

“We applaud ADDMA for taking this important step to focus on sustainable tourism development, putting in place meaningful programs to engage with the stakeholders in order to push for ever-more sustainable tourism offerings in Athens,” says Randy Durband, GSTC CEO.

“After the announcement of an extensive recovery plan for the City of Athens, ADDMA takes the lead for a new tourism model via sustainable development for the capital of Greece, upscaling the existing good practices and supporting a sustainable model for the Greek destinations,” says Dr. Ioannis Pappas, GSTC Programs Director in the Mediterranean Region.