Societal and environmental parameters of ecotourism in abandoned and sensitive areas: case study of Milia Mountain Retreat on

Student’s Name: Despoina Fostiropoulou

SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS, BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION & LEGAL STUDIES

A thesis submitted for the degree of

Master of Science (MSc) in Hospitality and Tourism Management

June 2020 Thessaloniki – Student Name: Despoina Fostiropoulou

SID: 1109170006

Supervisor: Prof. Nicholas Karachalis

I hereby declare that the work submitted is mine and that where I have made use of another’s work, I have attributed the source(s) according to the Regulations set in the Student’s Handbook.

June 2020

Thessaloniki - Greece

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Abstract

The following dissertation was written as part of the MSc in Hospitality and Tourism Management at the International Hellenic University. In the first part, ecotourism is being holistically understood by its definition, principles, trends, audience and criticism. Consequently, the issue of rural areas’ abandonment is detected together with the perspective of ecotourism development under certain conditions and practices for their revival. Examples of domestic efforts of this orientation are noticed with particular reference to the case of Milia Mountain Retreat. The Cretan settlement is studied historically for the reasons of its abandonment, the investors’ initiative and actions related to its ecotouristic revival as well as the local community’s reactions and involvement. Also, the business’s operations are examined concerning their sustainability whereas in the conducted survey are identified the visitors’ characteristics, purposes, suggestions and impressions. Subsequently, qualitative and quantitative findings of the case study are discussed for the conception of managerial recommendations. In the end, it is concluded whether Milia Mountain Retreat operates sustainably and, therefore, whether abandoned rural areas’ sustainable revival through ecotourism is possible in reality.

Keywords: ecotourism, ecolodge, revival, settlement, sustainability

Acknowledgements First of all, I wish to express my deepest gratitude to Dr. Nicholas Karachalis for his supervision, encouraging me to complete the research the best way I could and fostering, at the same time, my critical thinking. Without his patient and enlightening guidance, the outcome would not have been the same. Subsequently, I would like to thank the academic and administrative staff of the Hospitality and Tourism Management department at the International Hellenic University for their support during the whole time of my studies. I owe, also, an important debt to the people who helped me practically and ethically on this effort, interviewees, colleagues, friends and family. Last but not least, my sincere appreciation belongs to Milia’s owners, Tassos Gourgouras and Giorgos Makrakis, for letting me study their business with transparency. The thesis is devoted to them, to Iakovos Tsourounakis and inner mostly to my beloved grandparents, who taught me with their example that hard work with strong ethic inevitably lead to prosperity.

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Contents

Introduction ...... 6 1. Nature-based form of alternative tourism: ecotourism ...... 6 1.1 Definition and principles of ecotourism...... 6 1.2 Demand for sustainable policies in tourism ...... 7 1.3 The ecotourists’ profile ...... 8 1.4 Critical views on ecotourism ...... 9 2. Managing abandoned rural areas ...... 10 2.1 Rural areas’ abandonment ...... 10 2.2 Rural settlements’ revival through ecotourism ...... 11 2.3 Prerequisites for ecotourism development in abandoned rural areas ...... 12 2.4 Ecotourism and sustainability in rural areas ...... 12 2.5 Examples of domestic rural settlements’ revival through agro- ecotourism ...... 14 Methodological note ...... 16 3. Case study: Milia Mountain Retreat on Crete ...... 17 3.1 The chronicle of the abandonment ...... 17 3.2 The initiative of Milia’s revival through ecotourism ...... 18 3.3 Remediation energies for Milia’s touristic revival ...... 19 3.3.1 Restoration ...... 20 3.3.2 Reforestation ...... 21 3.4 Local community ...... 21 3.4.1 Initial opinions and conflicts of interest ...... 21 3.4.2 Participation and change of attitudes ...... 21 3.5 Sustainability ...... 22 3.5.1 Visitors ...... 22 3.5.2 Animals ...... 23 3.5.3 Restaurant ...... 23 3.5.4 Activities ...... 24 3.5.5 Energy management ...... 25 3.5.6 Waste management ...... 25 3.6 Promotion ...... 26 3.7 Visitors’ survey ...... 27 4. Discussion of findings ...... 34 4.1 Qualitative ...... 34 4.2 Quantitative ...... 37 4

5. Recommendations ...... 37 6. Conclusion ...... 40 References ...... 41 Appendices ...... 48

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Introduction

The idea of relating tourism with environment can be detected in the African safaris and the National Park’s concept during the 19th century, whereas the roots of ecotourism are found in the 1960s with the environmental crusade, the 1970s with the eco- development and the 1980s with the sustainable development (Fennell, 2002). Ecotourism’s importance was promoted by the United Nations’ Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in 1994, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development in 1995 (Gossling et al., 2005), the Rio+5 sessions in 1997, the Convention on Biological Diversity’s (CBD) meeting of 1999 (Das, 2011) and during the United Nations’ ‘International Year of Ecotourism’ in 2002 (Butcher, 2006). In 2012, also, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) made a milestone resolution on it in the United Nations General Assembly. The resolution recognized and tasked ecotourism's role in the alleviation of poverty and defense of environment. Since particular concentration on this nature-based form of alternative tourism is detected on big tables, the understanding of its parameters would be significant accompanied with its perspective as a sustainable opportunity for socially and environmentally undermined rural areas’ revival. But which are the prerequisites and the applicability of these statements? Milia’s revival via ecotourism has been chosen for the study of the theoretical frame in real-life. During my 6-month-stay in the settlement I have obtained a completed picture of its operations for the purposes of the thesis, which aspires to be considered as food for thought for future researchers, investors and travelers to delve more into ecotourism.

1. Nature-based form of alternative tourism: ecotourism

1.1 Definition and principles of ecotourism Budowski, in 1976, published his article with title “Tourism and Environmental Conservation: Conflict, Coexistence, or Symbiosis?” however he did not use the term “ecotourism”. It is clear that the term appeared in the 1980s (Romeril, 1985; Ceballos-Lascurain, 1987; Laarman & Durst, 1987; Ziffer, 1989: Orams, 2001) but it is unclear by whom it was used for the first time (Fennell, 1999) and although, in our days, we have a plethora of definitions there has been not a commonly accepted one yet (Luck, 2003; Black, 2007; Patterson, 2007). In this research, it will be defined as the environmentally responsible tourism to relatively undisturbed areas for enjoyment, appreciation and conservation of natural and cultural features (past and present), providing beneficial societal involvement of local populations (Ceballos-Lascurain, 1996). 6

Examining more closely its principles according to The International Ecotourism Society (TIES), ecotourism:

▪ Offers market-linked solutions and provides economic incentives for conservation and enhancement of diversity, cultural or natural. It works as a long-term opportunity for micro enterprises, making their position against the aggressiveness of tourism industry stronger. In addition, people involved in ecotourism frequently co-fund campaigns or even revitalize the areas in which their project is implemented themselves (Wood, 2002). ▪ Increases local capacity building and employment opportunities as a vehicle for empowerment of local communities to eliminate poverty and to achieve sustainable economic development. In fact, there are many Community Development Employment Projects which support indigenous-owned micro enterprises providing them financial resources and such prοjects may help significantly women to reinforce themselves in patriarchal societies gaining equal opportunities (Scheyvens, 2000). Great emphasis, also, on training programs and technical support should be given so that indigenous people will have the proper gnostic skills related to ecotourism. ▪ Enriches environmental awareness through greater understanding of nature, as well as fosters sociopolitical respect via interactivity of visitors with local communities and cultures. If we think about it deeply, education could be considered the major contribution of ecotourism and important is that it reinforces the view in which nature should be accessible for all. It is more than just one- way transfer of information as ecotourists learn to explain, appreciate and protect, strengthening their personal and societal role on this planet. Noticeable is also the relationship between ecotourism and the rapidly growing voluntourism (or volunteer tourism). So ecotourism as voluntourism emphasize the idea according to which travelers visit a destination and participate in people- or nature-based activities with positive impact on the society or the environment.

1.2 Demand for sustainable policies in tourism Ecotourism is mostly demand driven. It was not only the mass tourism’s failure, putting travelers in a passive position in conjunction with their environment around, but also tourists themselves who became “greener”, looking for ecofriendly experiences (Sharpley 2006: 8). In 2011, a survey of TripAdvisor showed that 65% of travel consumers would make ecofriendly choices and, in 2012, the percentage was increased to 71% (TripAdvisor, 2012). Furthermore, in a survey of 2013, 79% of travelers indicated that importantly choose properties which implement ecofriendly practices and, in 2014, the percentage was increased to 81% (TripAdvisor, 2014). In addition, a survey in 2020 conducted by STR’s Tourism Consumer Insights team

7 found out that the interest in sustainable travel is not specific but general as 48% of a sample of 1.000 international travelers responded that environmentally friendly holidays were important for them whereas the 35% would not visit a country with zero efforts to confront the climate change. According to the United Nations, also, 57% of the international tourists in 2030 will arrive in emerging economies’ sustainable destinations. Tourism supply is aware of this trend and the fact that there are more than 150 certifications for responsible or sustainable tourism worldwide proves that, even if their reliability and value are constantly questioned.

1.3 The ecotourists’ profile Former research divided ecotourists into “hard” and “soft” (Lindberg, 1991; Palacio & McCool, 1997; Blamey & Braithwaite, 1997; Diamantis, 1999), demonstrated them as site- or nature-based, motivation-based, value-based, multi-criteria-based, respondent-based (Hvenegaard, 2002) and distinguished two groups of them, the “born” and the “made” (Fenell, 2003). Contemporary research, however, pointed out that despite general typologies, ecotourists’ profile cannot be easily put in frames, as it is differentiated according to areas’ unique characteristics, rapid consuming changes (Hvenegaard, 2002; Dragan, Toader & Petrescu, 2014) as well as disagreements on ecotourism’s parameters itself (Weaver & Lawton, 2007). Therefore, the literature on ecotourists’ profile is based on case studies and the existence of particularities in each case is graspable. For a relatively objective definition, a series of cases was studied and the most common findings on characteristics, motivations and preferences of ecotourists were crossed, being described below. It seems that most ecotourists are above 50 years old (Fennell & Smale 1992: Cleaver, 2002; Sfakianakis, 2000; Deng & Li, 2014). The opinions vary, though, as in other research ecotourists are presented as people of middle or younger age (Yuan & Moisey 1992: Cleaver, 2002; Diamantis, 1998: Cleaver, 2002; Millar & Mayer, 2012; Perkins & Brown, 2012; Paco, Alves & Nunes, 2012; Castellanos- Verdugo et al. 2016; Anishchenko, 2016; Mahdzar & Gani, 2018). Concerning their educational level, most researchers agree that the majority is educated, graduating from higher or highest institutions (Ingram & Durst, 1989; Boo, 1990; Ryel & Grasse, 1991; Whelan, 1991; Eagles, 1992; Wight, 1996: Khan, 2003; Sfakianakis, 2000; Page & Dowling, 2002; Dolnicar et al., 2008; Fenell, 2008:40; Kim & Slevitch, 2010:79; Torres-Sovero et al. 2011:547, Millar & Mayer, 2012; Perkins & Brown, 2012; Paco, Alves & Nunes, 2012; Deng & Li, 2014, Sheena, Mariapan & Aziz, 2015:3, Anishchenko, 2016; Nheta, Madzunye & Tshipala, 2017; Cretu, 2018). Furthermore, the economic background of most is above the middle (Sfakianakis, 2000; Dolnicar et al., 2008; Fenell, 2008:40; Kim & Slevitch, 2010:79; Torres-Sovero et al. 2011:547; Millar & Mayer, 2012; Deng & Li, 2014; Sheena, Mariapan & Aziz, 2015:3; Nheta, Madzunye & Tshipala, 2017; Mahdzar & Gani, 2018; Cretu, 2018) although some other recent research indicated that there is 8 insignificant relationship between ecotourists and income level (Deng & Li, 2015:267, Sheena et al., 2015:12, Nheta, Madzunye & Tshipala, 2017). In 1995, Wight concluded that 60% of the experienced ecotourists, who are defined as those that made at least one such kind of trip before, choose to travel with partner and the 15% with family, whereas 13% of them prefer to be solo travelers. He also added that the smashing majority of both, non- experienced and experienced ecotourists, shows neutral interest in relaxation, however in the research of Mahdzar & Gani (2018) they gave great emphasis on it. Many of them look for adventurous physical activities like hiking or trekking (Wight, 1995α, TIES, 2000, Weaver, 2001, 2005; Holden & Sparrowhawk, 2002; Weaver & Lawton, 2002; Anishchenko, 2016; Cretu, 2018) and a vivid sociocultural experience interacting with people or tasting local food (Sfakianakis, 2000; Khan, 2003; Perkins & Brown, 2012; Anishchenko, 2016; Mahdzar & Gani, 2018). The ecotourists importantly expect education about the natural environment (Ballantine & Eagles 1994: Blamey, 1997; Komilis, 2001; Dolnicar et al., 2008; Deng & Li, 2014), being also willing to pay more about goods or services produced under sustainable conditions (Stringer, 1984, HLA & ARA Consulting, 1994; Wight, 1996a, 1996b: Wood, 2002, Khan, 2003; Millar & Mayer, 2012; Perkins & Brown, 2012; Deng & Li, 2014; Cretu, 2018). In addition, even if they may be higher social status consumers, they do not demand luxuries (Weaver, 2001, 2005; Weaver & Lawton, 2002) as their preference is concentrated in the authentic scenery, including observation of local flora and fauna (Stringer, 1984, HLA & ARA Consulting, 1994; Wight, 1996a, 1996b: Wood, 2002; Deng & Li, 2014; Mahdzar et al., 2015).

1.4 Critical views on ecotourism Ecotourism, from on other point of view, has been criticized as an economocentric human activity which may have more positive attributes in comparison with other, however it could still damage natural and cultural resources irreversibly (Fennell, 2002). The increased interest in ecotourism could be characterized as a tragic irony since it could fall victim of its own success, harming local environments by hosting high number of visitors. Even if ecotourists behave responsibly during their stay, they would still have to drive by car in an isolated ecolodge where public transporation is absent, causing production of greenhouse gases, serious trail erosion and fauna’s disturbance. In societal level, also, there might be phenomena of commodification in which local cultures are distorted in favor of profit whereas an additional theme is the probable conflicts of interest among local stakeholders due to lack of information (Schenk et al., 2007; Wallner et al., 2007; Dimitrakopoulos et al., 2010). Moreover, lack of education and poverty issues of inhabitants can make easier the acceptance of mismanaged ecotourism projects by external investors. As a consequence, main labor is drawn from the urban sector, least interest in training of locals exists and their involvement is restrained, temporary, devalued and low-paid in contrast with the 9 investors’ high profit, bringing unbalanced economic growth and resources’ exploitation. Likewise, the role of women in some particular cases is still underrated as they are considered less capable and skilled (Badola & Hussain, 2003). Furthermore, there has been criticism on the motives of green practices in the lodge industry. An ecofriendly practice requires organizational initiative but frequently hotels involve guests with signs that remind them to turn-off the lights, use water conservatively and reuse towels in order to “save the planet” (Garza, 2011). Although these actions may seem to aim in environmental awareness, in reality they might be greenwashing, focusing in the improved profile of the business accompanied with significant cost- savings. A similar case can be considered the ostentation of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), the credibility of which is difficult to be verified. Therefore, we understand that in almost every industry sustainability’s motives might be based on profit, something which sometimes makes ecotourism no different from conventional tourism (Honey, 2008).

2. Managing abandoned rural areas

2.1 Rural areas’ abandonment The reasons which led and lead to rural areas’ abandonment are complicated and related to each other (Berkes & Folke, 1998; Berkes et al., 2003; Allison & Hobbs, 2006). Strict policies on agriculture, especially in Europe, made many people unable to follow all the parameters of law. In addition, loose lines and elimination of barriers on trade markets marginalized particular areas of cultivation whereas technology’s advance made the traditional land exploitation economically unsustainable. Also, in national level, public transportation network in rural areas is weaker in comparison with the rest European countries and the 47,8% of rural populations does not have easy access to them (FEANSTA, 2015) or other basic services (e.g. schools, healthcare centers, pharmacies, banks etc). As a result of restrained motivation and infrastructure, young populations move to urban areas (United National Centre for Human Settlements, 1996; McKinney, 2002; Miller & Hobbs, 2002), raising demographic problem in the rural ones (Dologlou, 2016). Concretely, the highest percentages of abandonment have been noticed in mountainous rural settlements (Maloutas & Pantazis, 2000) and tourism has an additional impact on this since it attracts human resources in urban and coastal centers (Kaklamanis & Dyken, 2001).

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2.2 Rural settlements’ revival through ecotourism In 1975, the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) implemented a pilot program for the architectural, cultural and societal preservation of traditional rural settlements via tourism including initially 6 and, until 1994, 16 other areas, in the view that tourism was the only solution on the issue of abandonment. In present time, as part of the INTERREG V B ADRIONET program, a transnational network of cultural and environmental rich villages and settlements is searched by a group of Southeastern European countries, including Greece for the region of , so that they will overcome the current marginalization and under-valorization via sustainable tourism development. According to these programs, tourism is able to contribute in the 3 categories of settlements’ revival: 1) architectural and cultural preservation, 2) populations’ preservation and 3) new residents’ attraction (Dologlou, 2016). The question is, which kind of sustainable tourism would be the most appropriate and why? Abandoned rural settlements, apart from their obvious location in natural environments, frequently include traditional residential stock, which according to the international and national institutional frames constitutes part of the local areas’ culture. Let’s say, then, that the developmental effort could be oriented in cultural tourism, a form of special interest tourism followed by contemporary travelers who seek cultural education and interactivity. Cultural tourism is defined as form of tourism which aims not only in the discovery of monuments and locations but also in their preservation and protection (WTO et al., 1976) whereas in a other approach it is seen as a factor of knowledge and social development, elaborated according to the bearing capacity of sensitive areas’ cultural and natural heritage (ICOMOS, 1999). All these sound familiar, don’t they? Indeed, many find that rural tourism, nature tourism, adventure tourism, historical tourism, educational tourism and cultural tourism are included in the spectrum of ecotourism (Patterson, 2007) rendering it, therefore, as a completed proposal. Then, which would be the probable benefits? Firstly, ecotourism could highlight properly the cultural and natural resources of each area regardless of the season, affecting favorably other destinations’ visitation, since ecotourists do not travel only on summer. Greece’s advantage on this is significant due to its relatively mild climate conditions even in mountainous environments. Moreover, the ecotourists, as we saw above, are travelers of high educational and income level, creating qualitative economic flows for employment opportunities (Spilanis, 2000; Tsartas, 2003) and environmental protection. The interconnected and interdependent agro- and ecotouristic greek reality (Dologlou, 2017), also, where many ecotourism projects are developed in rural settlements with vivid agricultural character in the past, can be proved beneficial since ecotourists, participating in agricultural works may appreciate more the local goods’ value and increase their consumption. As a result, abandoned rural settlements could be turned into centers of sustainable development also for local producers in nearby territories, perpetuating the

11 traditional know-how (Wymann et al., 2013; Michailidou, 2014) by boosting the primary sector and the handmade production of small scale by women (e.g. spoon sweets, marmalades etc).

2.3 Prerequisites for ecotourism development in abandoned rural areas Basic prerequisite for ecotourism implementation in abandoned rural areas is the political will. It is pivotal for the information, consulting and education of rural populations, especially the younger, on the developmental value of ecotourism so that they will be motivated to stay in their areas and elaborate contemporary projects. Also, adapted in the reality and protective for the cultural and natural heritage laws as well as responsive people in key positions would help in the approval of appropriate ecotourism proposals on time whereas appealing funding programs followed by controlling mechanisms could secure that ecolodges start and continue to operate sustainably. In addition, milder taxation could balance the increased operational costs of micro enterprises in isolated areas and, above all, there need be efforts on infrastructure and social services, favorable so for the populations’ lives as for the visitors’ experience (Dologlou, 2016). Consequently, local entrepreneurs need to identify the particularities of their internal environment. Ecolodges in abandoned rural areas may be located in environmentally fragile ecosystems, many of them included in the Natura 2000 network for the protection of listed bird and migratory species (Birds Directive) or maintenance and restoration of listed natural habitats (Habitats Directive). The principles of Natura 2000 network may adopt an approach in which humans are part of nature and their low-impact activities don’t have to be excluded but cautious examination and use of natural resources before and after the implementation of projects are vital together with the sociocultural remediation and protection. Also, the external environment’s understanding is of equal significance. Collection of statistics from visitors, for instance, would help businesses in market segmentation and, then, in detection of opportunities for competitive advantage in the digital market (Dolnicar, 2008; Kwan, Eagles & Gebhardt, 2010:4). External recognition of a domestic micro-scale effort demands patience and constant training on promotional technologies but if it will be achieved long-term, psychological power and self-esteem of indigenous populations would be enhanced as a whole (Nyuapane & Poudel, 2011), eradicating conflicts even with the most skeptics. Last but not least, information on the latest trends on ecotourism and sustainability is substantial in order the businesses to be adapted accordingly. Some indicative examples on the current trends will be given in the following subchapter.

2.4 Ecotourism and sustainability in rural areas In 2019, tourism leaders met at the World Travel Market (WTM) in London for a high-level discussion on tourism’s role in rural challenges. The Ministers’ Summit on “Technology for Rural 12

Development”, hosted by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in partnership with the WTM, focused on tourism innovation and technology and their place in empowering rural communities, an approach similar to the ecovillages’. But what is the ecovillage? It is an intentional (built from zero), urban or traditional (in an existing rural village) community of people who want to live a different, more sustainable life through novelty and ecofriendly practices. Such an instance is the bioclimatic architectural project ReGen for ecovillages with energetic self-sufficiency, water and waste recycling as well as production of organic goods. Ecovillage projects (e.g. agro- ecolodges, permaculture centers etc) need to be adapted if they haven’t done so yet. Besides, the World Economic Forum has already reported in 2009 the concept of low- carbon tourism with title “Towards a low-carbon travel and tourism” (Chiesa & Gautam, 2009). The renewable solar energy would be appropriate in sunny, mountainous areas with absent or weak power supply centers. The solar power stations can be compound parabolic concentrating type thermal collectors, photovoltaic systems or hybrid PV/T collectors, their installation of which is affordable in case they are funded. Then, the abandoned villages’ old houses could revive again as ideal green buildings (also known as sustainable or high performance buildings), after the appropriate restoration, maintenance and respect to the areas’ characteristics (e.g. architecture, culture and climate). An investment of such kind using sustainable materials (e.g. local, reused, recycled, or renewable-made) may cost more but is energetically and costly efficient. Moreover, the elaboration of green technologies constitutes a sustainable solution for the ecolodges’ water reuse and waste reduction. The effective, economical and relatively ecofriendly biological wastewater treatment is one of them, aiming both at water quantity and quality, the latter related to lack of sanitation and contamination. Concerning the organic production of goods, ecolodges in rural areas have the spatial resources for investments in land’s cultivation nearby, decreasing water consumption in out-of-range products and transportation costs on the environment, in accordance with the locavores’ philosophy. Also, the latters’ 100-mile diet, which includes consumption of raw materials grown within 100 miles from the table, denotes the importance of natural practices in agriculture, one of which is composting. It is not only a natural waste management process where organic food scraps and yard waste become organic material (compost) but also a natural fertilizer for the soil, enriching nitrogen, retaining moisture, suppressing plant diseases and pests, and favoring the production of good bacteria and fungi. Thus, the costly for water supply use of chemical fertilizers is being obviated whereas the produced vegetables and fruits are fresh, flavorful and healthy for qualitative gastronomic dishes.

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2.5 Examples of domestic rural settlements’ revival through agro- ecotourism Aspros Potamos Traditional Houses was an old agricultural settlement of Pefki in Makry Gialos of ’s municipality, 1.000 meters above sea level and it suffered total abandonment until 1985 when the current owner visited the area and decided to invest on it. The 20 300-year-old houses of Aspros Potamos have been characterized traditional and protected by the Greek government. They were restored with natural materials and traditional antiques, respecting the local environment and achieving interior simplicity. Today, there are 10 individually decorated studios available during all year. Also, a photovoltaic system has been installed to produce renewable energy for electricity and warm water. However, the main lighting is provided by candles and oil lambs for traditional aesthetic. Aspros Potamos does not include restaurant or organized activities but guests can cook in their studios’ kitchens as well as ask the staff about nearby restaurants and day excursions. Kapsaliana Village Hotel is placed 18 kilometers away from , 260 meters above sea level. It was a settlement of which bloomed after the oil mill’s construction in 1763, defining the agricultural activities of the villagers. Kapsaliana is a traditional settlement and has been characterized culturally valuable by presidential decree. Thus, during the restoration, the Cretan architect and owner tried to use natural materials and preserve the village’s initial architecture and spatial planning. It has been transformed into 22 rooms, available during all year, and is included in the list of historical European hotels. The hotel includes outdoor pool and restaurant oriented in the Cretan and Mediterranean cuisine, whereas many raw materials are produced in its farm. In addition, a plethora of organized activities is offered like olive oil tasting, traditional soap making, guided hiking, trekking and kayaking tours, body treatments as well as tailor made theme programs (botanic, bird-watching, cultural visit, gastronomy). In the 1990s, when the hotel opened, Kapsaliana had 4 inhabitants whereas in 2011 only 1. Village is included in the municipality of Apokoronas between and Rethymno (25 and 35 kilometers respectively), viewing the White Mountains. Thankfully, the village has not been abandoned, on the contrary, according to the Hellenic Statistical Authority its population has been increased by 19,4% the last 20 years. Central location, easy access, mild climate and good social services network constitute Vamos’s assets, inextricable with the local touristic development. Vamos S.A. was established in 1995 as a corporative agrotourism effort by emigrant and permanent locals. Today, the company promotes and manages 56 either old restored or new constructed guest houses in and around Vamos with percentage profit. The houses’ style varies from simpler to more luxurious with pool whereas the reception, tavern and café of the settlement are housed in historical buildings, the latter being also a place of cultural and art events. Moreover, Vamos provides Cretan cooking lessons, guided hikes, wine tasting in a local winery and participation in agricultural activities like grape harvest and wine press. During winter season, guests can

14 actively take part in olive, orange, herb and green harvest as well as see the procedure of cheese making in a traditional creamery. Also, it has been created a small family business of stone products. Importantly, tourists do not stay out but in the village’s heart, neighboring and interacting with locals, giving both a traditional as a contemporary heart bit in its revival. Thalori Traditional Village in the historical Kapetaniana is located in south , 750 meters above sea level, combining so sea as the included in the Natura 2000 network Asterousia mountains. It is a family business and the proprietor is from Heraklion. The 20 guest houses’ renovation has been done with natural materials according to the local architecture and traditional objects were used for the interior decoration. Thalori includes restaurant oriented in the Cretan cuisine by own-produced and local producers’ raw materials. It organizes also cooking lessons and horse rides whereas in the website are provided detailed information about local gems for relaxation, cultural education and physical activities. In 2011, Kapetaniana had 80 residents. Vamvakou Revival is sited in Lakonia, 900 meters above sea level in the slopes of Parnonas. In 2018, 5 friends with local roots created a corporation with the ethical and economical support of Stavros Niarchos Foundation for sustainable development translated into permanent relocation of people back in Vamvakou via equal job opportunities and innovative practices. The first phase of the project included revitalization of the area and attraction of visitors through a holistic athletic and leisure experience in the natural environment whereas in the second significant role plays agrotourism. The village already has its restaurant-café and offers mountain activities while a new building for visitors’ accommodation is under construction. There are aspects of Vamvakou, though, which differentiate it from other ventures. The renovated school works as STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Arts Mathematics) center through the V.Lab (Vamvakou Technology Lab), providing knowledge to people of all ages. In addition, activities and events concerning arts (e.g. music, cinema, textile art, sculpture, literature, jewelry making etc) are planned so that new intellectual and aesthetic standards to be shaped. As part of this effort, Vamvakou Revival and the Greek National Opera have joined their forces to create a small art “hive”. The Oros Ensemble, made up of young Greek and international musicians, has taken up residence in Vamvakou to study, create and share music, fostering the musicians’ growth and reinforcing the village’s cultural identity. In 2011, Vamvakou had 88 residents and interesting would be the study of the effort’s outcomes after some years.

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Methodological note

Research question Could ecotourism constitute a sustainable solution for rural areas’ abandonment?

Methodology The research question is so simple as complex, which means that it may be just one but a safe conclusion requires investigation of many parameters. In addition, the fragility of the issue itself demands a methodological approach based not only in theory but also in practice. Thus, since the general theoretical frame has been covered, the practical will follow with the holistic study of a real case of ecotourism venture in abandoned rural area, highlighting particularities which might be blurred in a different approach.

Field research description The choice of Milia Mountain Retreat on Crete as case study was not random, since my personal involvement staying and working 6 months in this would allow an internal view on its operations. More specifically: ▪ Direct observations had been collected in real-time (16/04/19-21/10/19). ▪ Survey (in english) was conducted during the departure of visitors who stayed at least 1 night in the settlement in order their characteristics, purposes, suggestions and impressions to be identified. From a sample of 1.089 guests, 756 participated, 38 did not and 295 were never informed about it. SPSS software was used for the answers’ analysis (11/06/19-21/10/19). ▪ Interviews (in greek or english) to key people were face-to-face and open. The interviewees were informed that their answers were being recorded in mobile phone whereas the procedure of transcription and translation, later, was simultaneous (29/11/19-04/12/19). ▪ Relevant printed and digital publications referenced in Milia were studied as existing data (03/11/19-18/04/20).

Obstacles Graspable is that the objectivity of findings, as results of a single case study in which I am personally involved would be questioned. For the mitigation of bias, therefore, I chose to record direct observations based only on facts that would not permit distortion of reality. In the survey, questions related with the visitors’ gender and nationality were avoided on purpose for their identities’ protection so that they will feel safe to answer the questions as they wish. Concerning the unstructured interviews, information crossed with existing data was marked as accurate whereas that which was not referenced in other sources was included in parenthesis. 16

3. Case study: Milia Mountain Retreat on Crete

Milia Mountain Retreat is located in an isolated and protected by the Natura 2000 network area in the prefecture of Chania, registered as settlement of Vlatos (5 kilometers away) in the municipality of , 550 meters above sea level, surrounded by the mountains Kefali and Psilo. Basic aim of the venture was the area’s remediation and the settlement’s rehabilitation in order to revive according to the principles of ecotourism. Milia is referred as alternative tourism destination in the Modern Greek’s book (page 5) in the 1st Grade of the Greek Junior High School and, today, includes 15 restored rooms of Picture 1: Sofia Syntila with her Modern Greek’s book several types (Standard, Large, Suites & Family) for 2 to 5 (Personal archive, 2018). people with cost range 86€-170€ per night including breakfast (taxed equally to other lodges), with maximum capacity 40 guests. In its center there is a 2-floor building where are housed the reception and Milia Restaurant which hosts, apart from the guests, dozens of daily visitors. In the same building, there is a space for guests’ breakfast and lounge which is booked also for fitness, yoga, self-awareness, writing and other retreats. The all-year-round ecolodge is pet-friendly and family-friendly, provided that the retreat’s tranquility can be respected.

3.1 The chronicle of the abandonment Milia has been referred to as settlement from the Venetian period since the 15th century with the name “Milea”, including the little church of Agios Georgios and the cemetery in its lower part. Pano Milia, the restored and traditionally largest part of the settlement, is located 900 meters away. The rooms’ booklets mention that, according to oral histories, 17 men from Milia had left the village and took part in some revolutionary movement. Were to be multiplied this by 4, the lowest number of children in a family back then, it would end up with 68 residents in the small village at its pick. Furthermore, the destroyed graves, about 8 houses of 10 families in Pano and Kato Milia combined and 7 threshing floors point to a roughly similar number of inhabitants, just from a different angle.

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The area went through several periods of abandonment. The first was done before the end of 17th century as a result of the Middle Ages’ sizable epidemics. In the 19th century, people came back, staying in Milia from spring until autumn to carry through their agricultural activities. The close of season, in late October, was done with the harvest of chestnuts and then the moving to winter homes in neighboring villages. Throughout periods of hardship later, as that Picture 2: Wooden sign on the way to Milia during the First World War, the majority of survived population being (Personal archive, 2019). influenced by the industrial revolution searched for a better life in urban centers of Greece or abroad. There were few exceptions of people who resided in the settlement permanently, though. In Pano Milia, Evangelos Makrakis, commonly known as “Vangelinos”, dwelled as farmer, with a particular inclination towards beekeeping. In the phase of the Second World War, the hidden settlement was shelter for 9 families, however, after its end the increased movement of migration left Pano Milia totally abandoned in 1947. It is known that the last residents of Kato Milia were Kostas Metzidakis along with his mother Aspasia, who lived there 17 years between 1942 and 1959. In due course, Milia had been undermined in societal and environmental level and as it was no longer inhabited, ceased to enjoy the systematic cultivation and grazing of livestock it once had. In addition, there had been people who took advantage of the area’s abandonment. Illegal overgrazing, logging and hunting transformed the valley into a stark barren place.

3.2 The initiative of Milia’s revival through ecotourism Ownerships in Pano Milia had several families from the neighboring villages Vlatos, Katsomatados, Syrikari and Tsourouniana. Before the total abandonment in 1947, most of those people owned one house, some chestnut or olive trees and a small threshing floor. That status quo changed after 1970 with the new owners, whose families had the greatest parts of ownership in the settlement. The one was the Tsourounakis family, represented by Iakovos and the other was the Makrakis family, descendants of Picture 3: Giorgos Makrakis next to a house before Vangelinos, represented by Giorgos. Both families had Milia’s restoration (Milia’s archive, 1988). roots from Vlatos.

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Iakovos Tsourounakis, having the lion’s share, started to buy systematically other titles of ownership at Milia not because he had on his mind that he’d create an ecolodge but because he was emotionally driven by his childhood memories. As an educated and mature man who lived abroad, he returned back as Principal of Goethe Institut in Chania, visioned to reclaim his ancestral land via cultivation of biological goods according to the basic principles of ecology. It was the period of the 1980s, when Iakovos contacted his thoughts with the 19-year-old farmer Giorgos Makrakis who was local resident of Vlatos. As Giorgos was convinced by Iakovos’ vision, they both took a risk investing in their land. Noticeable is that, although ecotourism as term was unknown to them back then, their inner will to protect the area was related with some of its principles. Giorgos Makrakis reported that “the idea of Milia’s revival was born unintentionally. It was a long working day in the fields and, since we were all too tired, we decided to stay in the Tsourounakis’ family house which was among the few with remained rooftop. We kindled the fireplace for light and heat and started a conversation about that magic feeling, away from civilization, without electricity, in an old house. It was then that Iakovos expressed a thought in which a contemporary human should have this lifetime experience at least once”. That night the fire lighted also Iakovos’s and Giorgos’s minds, giving them an alternative perspective of sustainable development of Milia as the first ecolodge on Crete, among the first in Greece and one of the top 26 of the world, according to National Geographic in 2013.

3.3 Remediation energies for Milia’s touristic revival The first energies for the settlement’s revival, apart from the biological cultivations, were done after the legal arrangements in 1982 and included cleaning, fencing and tree planting. Characteristically, there was one day that Iakovos, Giorgos and their helpers managed to plant 362 trees whereas more than 120 cretan and exotic kinds were planted during their whole endeavor. After those actions, human existence was significantly present in the area in a positive way and with slow rhythms some houses started to be restored. Since the capital was limited, Iakovos and Giorgos called upon the Organization of Development of Western Crete. The organization’s aim, among other, was to inform people about funding programs and, in case they’d got one, to supervise the project’s progress. Concerning Milia, the founders filed an essay about their ideas for the sustainable development of Milia as a future agro- ecolodge with particular emphasis on the environment Picture 4: Giorgos Makrakis and successfully got funding in 1990 by the European program INTERREG I. restores a house (Milia’s archive, 1988). The subsidization with timetable of implementation gave important boost for

19 the completion of the project. In 1992, a big part was restored and Milia could host some visitors and, in 1993, it was developed almost as we know it right now.

3.3.1 Restoration The architectural culture of each area is depended much on the local materials. Concerning the widened area of Milia, Giorgos Makrakis said that “there always was plenty of schist, a beautiful, heavy rock appropriate for masonry, and limestone by which was made the adhesive lime. As for the building technique, it was a combination of small and big schist for static reasons whereas important was the use of the durable chestnut wood. Most houses built under these rules endured in time, however, there were other built to be functional quickly. That was the reason why we found either ruins or architectural jewelry. Some houses in an impressively good condition were room 7, built by Iakovos’s father and room 1, even though it had no longer roof”. During the completion of the project, the previous architecture had been respected and strictly followed with the help of an experienced craftsman from Mani, who trained the owners 6 months on this particular way of building. Schist and chestnut wood either new from the area or old well conserved from the ruins were used during the restoration as well as the construction of the 2-floor building in 1998, for which Milia received subsidization by European program, again with the help Picture 5: Room 1 before the restoration (Milia’s archive, 1988). of the Organization of Development of Western Crete. Concerning the rooms, there is no need for air conditioners since their interiors maintain stable temperatures due to the rocky walls’ thickness. Also, they do not include fridges, televisions or outlets but bathrooms and simple decoration based on local antiques. In 2014, Milia gained the 12th place in Europe's top 50 secret spots that retain their special character, according to Lonely Planet. The restoration on the old basis, though, did not leave margin of accessibility for people with disabilities, as a different approach would distort the traditional amphitheatric architecture of Milia constituted by many stairs and steep levels. On the other hand, visitation by disabled people is possible in Milia Restaurant because of its location in the center of the settlement. In such case, a flexible line for the peoples’ convenience is followed according to which their cars can be parked near the restaurant and not outside the settlement (150 meters away) which is the policy for the general public.

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3.3.2 Reforestation In 2000, Milia was successfully included in 20/80 European regulation for sustainable use of ex-farming land with subsidization and a small compensation for maintenance. The program defined that the owners would still have the titles of their 1.000 square meters of green land, but they had to plant additional forest trees in 62 square meters with no permission to build in them. Whether the program is followed, responsible is the Ministry of Agriculture with the help of the Forest Service of Chania, which conducts controls every year. “The last 20 years we planted and water more than 1.100 carob trees. The carob fruit is used in the best way as raw material for Picture 6: Giorgos Makrakis takes the restaurant and in the worst way as food for the animals”, Giorgos care of the cultivations (©Tassos Makrakis stated. Gourgouras, 2019).

3.4 Local community

3.4.1 Initial opinions and conflicts of interest “The majority of the villagers around, who did not have a circular knowledge on ecology, had neither positive nor negative attitude towards the initial project of Iakovos in the 1970s. In fact, many felt sorry for him as they believed that buying land in such an isolated and abandoned area without road or electrical network was waste of energy and money. As time went by, the comments became more ironic. Milia as touristic destination was considered a joke and it was said that Iakovos was lunatic and young Giorgos pitiful following him to the way of economic destruction”, Tassos Gourgouras mentioned. However, nobody could blame those people as the project was maybe too innovative to be fully understood in the 1980s. The past years, also, when Milia was still occupied there was a balance among chestnut and olive cultivation, beekeeping and stock breeding. During the days of abandonment, however, mostly stock breeders were interested in the area and got the best of it being loose on the environmental footprint of their activities. That fact seemed to be opposite with Iakovos’ ideas and there was conflict of interest between him and Thodoris S., the main stock breeder of the area. “Iakovos decided that restrictions should be put in his legally bought land and, after 2 trials, Thodoris was forced to move his herd from Pano Milia, something which created negativity between them”, the co-owner added.

3.4.2 Participation and change of attitudes Consequently, Tassos Gourgouras cited that “in the next few years, the opinions changed as natives understood that Milia was boosting their communities”. People who helped Iakovos and Giorgos with the biological cultivations as well as those who worked on the restoration of the settlement were exclusively 21 locals. In addition, the worldwide recognition put Milia on the map and influenced positively the visitation in neighboring villages like Vlatos, Katsomatados and Topolia. He also said that “even the relations with Thodoris S. were fixed. After some years, he started to visit Pano Milia again, as he was a stock breeder alone in Kato Milia and the business was a place where he could stop for coffee. This Picture 7: Locals restore the settlement (Milia’s passed through Iakovos and Giorgos to me as newer co- archive, 1988). owner, and Thodoris to his son Manolis, something which later led to a professional bond. Today, we are supplied a great share of breeding and bee products from Manolis”. In addition, during high season (late March - early November) 15 people work at Milia from whom 5 are locals, 3 are Greek and 7 are international economic immigrants (Data: 2019). 2 employees are young members of the Makrakis family, who live in the area and Konstantina Litsardaki from Plokamiana left Athens to return in her roots, something which according to her would be difficult without her job at Milia. Concerning the international employees, 1 lives in Milia constituting the one and only permanent resident whereas 5 live with their families in Vlatos. As for the employees’ gender, 7 of them are women and 8 men (Data: 2019). The wages are formed according to their experience in the business whereas 2 women have managerial positions. The owners transmit part of their knowledge into their people, however, it has been observed lack of systematic training. Also, Tassos Gourgouras referred to voluntourism said that the past did not give a clear view whether it was beneficial for the settlement or not, taking under consideration the available resources. So right now, although there is interest, Milia does not accept volunteers.

3.5 Sustainability

3.5.1 Visitors At first, Milia had to do with domestic visitation but later international travelers started to visit the settlement as well, increasing their percentages year by year. Their number has been managed to remain limited via Milia’s slightly difficult and narrow road as well as the last 2,5 kilometers of dirty road, which work as a filter. The whole road could be done asphalt and be widened so that public and private 50-seat- buses to have access but it was something that the owners intentionally avoided for the simple reason that an extremely high number of visitors coming with buses might threaten the environment’s and settlement’s tranquility, although it could lead into more profit. In 2019, The Guardian included Milia in the

22 top 15 off-grid places to stay in Europe whereas in 2020, The Times referred to Milia as one of the 30 best places to stay in Greece after the lockdown as a rustic hideaway in hidden coves, expanding its fame as a remote mountain retreat.

3.5.2 Animals The farm of Milia includes goats, sheep, pigs, rabbits, chicken and turkeys. According to Giorgos Makrakis, “the number of animals has to be sustainable. For us, important is that the local environment would not be threatened by uncontrolled pasture and the animals will have enough space for quality in their lives even if this is translated into insufficient quantity for the needs of our visitors”. In addition, if goats of local stock breeders get into the premises of Pano Milia, no friction is created whereas if an animal is found Picture 8: Goat with her young in Milia’s trapped in a fence, is the stock breeder of Milia who goes at that farm (Personal archive, 2018). point to let the animal free, leading it to its owner.

3.5.3 Restaurant Milia Restaurant has been described as ‘an elegant taverna in the medieval village’ by Diane Kochilas in The New York Times. The menu is oriented in the Cretan cuisine with modern aesthetic and changes according to the seasonal goods. The chef Vasilis Makrakis, son of Giorgos, referred to the menu said that “if we want to serve high quality dishes, we need high quality raw materials”. For that, Picture 9: Stamnagathi with crispy runny important are considered the biological goods of Milia certified by the egg, sweet/sour tomatoes & herbs Organization of Control and Certification of Biological Products (DIO). (Source:www.inaxorio.com). And although their production was higher than consumption the previous years, now it is not enough. To face the vegetable and meat inadequacy, the chef has chosen long-term collaborations with local producers from Vlatos, Rogdia, Kalathenes, Katsomatados, Syrikari and Kissamos so that he will be sure the supplies’ origin and quality. Concerning the way of cooking, protagonists are the traditional wooden oven and the monolith. Refreshments and beers are exclusively local and wine, retsina, ouzo, raki and rakomelo are produced in Milia by Vasilis whereas in the cellar there is a plethora of fine wine bottles by small Cretan producers. In addition, in the restaurant there is a shop with Milia’s or local producers’ goods like olives, biological olive oil, sweet vinegar, sun-dried tomatoes, spoon sweets, marmalades, honey, herbs etc.

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3.5.4 Activities The settlement is known for its signed hiking trails of 5- 18 kilometers. Most guests try them individually, but also guided hikes to Topolia’s and Polyrinia’s gorges are organized for the less experienced, where they have the opportunity to cross slopes, settlements, bridges, ancient acropolises, old villages etc and be informed about their history. In any case, all guests are asked tο respect the natural environment during their hike and, indeed, scant human waste has been found in the trails during the last cleaning in 2019. In addition, cooking

Picture 10: Tassos Gourgouras instructs the lessons for the gastronomy’s friends are offered in which they cooking lesson’s participants (Personal archive, get into Cretan cuisine’s philosophy via lecture and practice. 2018). Noteworthy is that the meal at the monastery table after, where the participants enjoy their own dishes accompanied with homemade wine, exceeds every time the schedule (Data: 2019). Moreover, tips about beaches, gorges and monuments are given in Milia’s website as well as recommendations for local wineries. In the rooms’ booklets, also, are suggested other activities by local businesses. One of those is Biolea, which produces organic olive oil and organizes olive tours. The manager Chloe Dimitriadi reported that, during high season, 8 monthly visitors on average were guests of Milia. An other case is Meli PAP, where the owner and beekeeper Antonis Papagiannakis organizes beehive tours. He stated that almost 1/5 of the total tour participants came from Milia (Data: 2019). Likewise, in the booklet is recommended Vlatos Museum. The museum, which opened in 2017, is housed at the old school of Vlatos and includes folkloric material like crafts, needlepoints and school desks. Since it is located on the isolated way to Milia and its maintenance is up to donations, it is based on the settlements’ visitors. Also, since 2018, in a historical building of 1889 next to the museum, it takes place the “Vlatos Jazz” festival, managed by the museum’s curator Martijn Hazelzet and the Cultural Association of Vlatos. It is related with live music nights during summer period, either traditional or contemporary. Apart from the promotion of the event as a cultural activity for the guests, the business covers the food and accommodation of invited artists as well as the drinks of attendants for free. “There were only few from the 32 music nights in 2019 where none of Milia’s visitors joined us”, Martijn Hazelzet mentioned.

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3.5.5 Energy management Wood, as natural material, is used until today in the fireplaces, stoves, boilers as well as the traditional oven. The boilers heat the rooms properly with controlled consumption within the demanding levels and not more, leading to maximum energy exploitation and, so, only a standard quantity per day is provided to the guests’ rooms for aesthetic reasons. Giorgos Makrakis stated that “wood is bought by locals with the allowance of Forest Service for trees that belong to their Picture 11: The traditional wooden oven (Milia’s properties whereas, the latest years, the thinning and pruning of archive, 2014). Milia’s olive trees provide us a good amount of wood for consumption”. Furthermore, the early years were used only candles for lighting, something which still happens in the restaurant, creating atmosphere of an other era. However, for safety reasons a photovoltaic system was installed in 1995 with all the difficulties that it was accompanied. Although the system could cover the energy needs at first and updates were done, due to the increased visitation it is not enough. “The system produces approximately 45 kilowatt per day covering 60-65% of our energy needs during summer and 80% during winter. A small generator was added as supplementary energy source in conditions of need and we use the relatively ecofriendlier gas for the coverage of warm water and cooking”, Tassos Gourgouras cited. Picture 12: The photovoltaic system (Milia’s archive, 2014).

3.5.6 Waste management

Concerning the wastewater treatment, Giorgos Makrakis said that “the initial biological treatment, in 1991, was simple. It had a double runoff system of solid and liquid waste into a reed area, converting waste into humus and leading the clear water underground. In 2007, though, we were informed by the Organization of Development of Western Crete about a regional program for update of tourism businesses, we applied and got funding for the existing system’s replacement with a more contemporary under the same logic. The difference, now, is that the waste is following a natural way of 10 filters into a tank with zero energy consumption”. The water of that tank is not drinkable but it is used for the trees’ watering. In addition, the ashes from wood burning are collected not only because of their nutritious nitrogen and calcium for the trees but also for their help in proper composting. Leaves, organic leftovers and manure are 25 added to the procedure and, consequently, the composted soil is used as natural fertilizer in the cultivations. Also, inedible for people parts of meat and bones, instead of constituting food loss, are left to the bearded vultures in a concrete area outside the settlement. The same happens if an animal dies for a reason and the owners have asked other local stock breeders to do the same.

3.6 Promotion The printed and digital references in Milia all these years are many and some of the most impressive in international level Picture 13: Bearded vultures in Milia have already been mentioned. The digital, on their own, give a (©Tassos Gourgouras, 2019). boost in the business’s detection by ecotourists who use relevant key-words in search engines whereas equally significant is the management of Tassos, who as ex-director in commercial and documentary productions in Athens, undertook the role to be informed about trends in order to use them for the business’s promotion. The first years the channels were limited but the business was adapted in the digital era’s demands. On TripAdvisor, Milia Mountain Retreat and Milia Restaurant are listed separately so that the detection of the latter by daily visitors to be enhanced. Indeed, this tactic seem to be embraced since they both have many reviews and are ranked with 4,5. Furthermore, on Facebook and Instagram is posted representative content for the attraction of interested audience and the engagement of previous visitors. The website is mobile-friendly, comprehensive and provides special offers for direct reservations. Interestingly, Tassos Gourgouras reported that “almost 95% of our bookings are direct. The rest are coming from our collaboration with small travel agencies in Greece and abroad, including the online ones. These collaborations are not random, since our sizes favor quick responsiveness and flexibility so that our guests will have an individualized experience”. The only large-scale Online Travel Agency (OTA) in which Milia has been registered is Expedia, aiming in the observation of outcomes on the American audience.

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3.7 Visitors’ survey Characteristics Concerning the age of Milia’s ecotourists, Bar Chart 1 shows that most were between 36-50 (36,4%) and 51-65 (29,7%) years old. It is noticeable that a lower percentage belongs to people between 18-35 (23,8%) but this is not surprising if we take under consideration the demanding cost. The two older age groups of baby boomers (51-65 and >65) constituted the greatest percentage (39,8%) enhancing previous Bar Chart 1: Age of Milia’s ecotourists. research which deduced that most ecotourists are above 50 years old.

Table 1 points out the relationship between the educational level of visitors and their previous experience in an ecolodge. Both experienced and non-experienced ecotourists had similar distributions, with the majority having tertiary education (87,1% and 82,7% respectively) as a wide range of other research concluded. The percentages of primary and secondary education did not exceed totally the 20% in both groups.

Table 1: Categorization of experienced and non-experienced ecotourists according to their educational level. Educational level Primary Secondary Tertiary Total Previous Yes 1,5% (6) 11,4% (46) 87,1% (352) 100% (404) experience in No 3,1% (11) 14,2% (50) 82,7% (291) 100% (352) an ecolodge Total 17 96 643 756

The annual income of ecotourists was specified in Pie Chart 1, showing that medium or high income earns cumulatively 91,6% of the total as many other research have shown. Pie Chart 1: Ecotourists’ annual income.

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The following Bar Chart 2, reports the companionship of experienced ecotourists. More than half (58,2%) visited Milia with partner, 27,7% with their family and only 3% traveled alone. Surprisingly, the findings are in agreement with Wight’s research 25 years ago in the case of partners (60%) whereas those concerning family (15%) or solo (13%) traveling are quite different.

Bar Chart 2: Experienced ecotourists’ companionship on their trip to Milia.

Purposes

Consequently, Table 2 marks the traveling purposes of experienced ecotourists. Most of them chose Milia mainly for relaxation in the natural environment (80,9%) and healthy nutrition from local products (65,1%). Almost half of them found important the existence of adventurous physical activities (40,8%) and education through Milia’s ecological principles (44,8%). The negative answers (not at all important, not so important) of the above did not exceed the 15%. In addition, a great share of Milia’s ecotourists was neutral on interaction and share of experiences with other people (36,4%) whereas for half of them taking photos for posting on social media was not at all important (48,3%). All outcomes are oriented in the same direction as other researchers concluded and in the case of relaxation in the natural environment the percentages agree with the recent approach of Mahdzar & Gani (2018).

Table 2: Purposes of Milia’s experienced ecotourists concerning their stay. Not at all Not so Very Neutral Important important important important Relaxation in the 0% 0,2% 1,5% 17,3% 80,9% natural environment (0) (1) (6) (70) (327) Adventurous physical 4,5% 8,4% 22,3% 40,8% 24% activities (e.g. hiking) (18) (34) (90) (165) (97) Education via Milia’s 2,5% 9,4% 28% 44,8% 15,3% ecological principles (10) (38) (113) (181) (62) Healthy nutrition from 0,2% 1% 4% 29,7% 65,1% local products (1) (4) (16) (120) (263) Interaction and share 5,7% 14,9% 36,4% 26,7% 16,3% of experiences with (23) (60) (147) (108) (66) other people Taking photos to post 48,3% 21% 16,8% 8,2% 5,7% on social media (195) 85 (68) (33) (23)

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Also, Table 3 points out whether there was statistically significant difference among the purposes of age groups’ means. Indeed, difference was detected in the means of education via Milia’s ecological principles, interaction and share of experiences with other people and taking photos to post on social media since their significance values were <0.05 (0.001, 0.019 and 0.002 respectively). For those cases, Post-Hoc test was used and deduced that the statistically significant difference corresponds to the following age group pairs as shown in Table 4. Noteworthy is the p=0.03 in the age pairs 51-65 and >65 concerning the interaction and share of experiences with others as they practically belong to the same generation.

Table 3: Variations on ecotourists’ purposes for Milia based on their age. M.±S.D. M.±S.D. M.±S.D. M.±S.D. Factors F p (18-35) (36-50) (51-65) (>65) Relaxation in the 4,66±0,56 4,76±0,51 4,72±0,49 4,66±0,54 1,687 .168 natural environment Adventurous physical 3,49±1,12 3,59±1,07 3,65±1,12 3,85±1,00 1,915 .126 activities (e.g. hiking) Education via Milia’s 3,39±1,00 3,51±0,97 3,59±0,99 3,93±0,73 5,445 .001 ecological principles Healthy nutrition from 4,51±0,62 4,57±0,61 4,49±0,75 4,66±0,48 1,458 .225 local products Interaction and share of experiences with 3,18±1,15 3,33±1,03 3,16±1,12 3,59±1,01 3,321 .019 other people Taking photos to post 2,01±1,21 1,85±1,11 2,19±1,23 2,38±1,29 5,156 .002 on social media

Table 4: Post-Hoc test for multiple comparisons of statistically significant differences among the age groups on their purposes for Milia. Age Pairs p

Education through Milia’s 18-35 >65 .001 ecological principles

Interaction and share of 18-35 >65 .049 experiences with other people 51-65 >65 .030

36-50 51-65 .009 Taking photos to post on social media 36-50 >65 .010

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Suggestions Table 5 marks the suggestions of Milia’s visitors for qualitative additional activities. It is interesting that considerable preferences of visitors were concentrated on the nature and the ecological operations of Milia as well as in agricultural works whereas the interest in Cretan culture was not low, confirming previous research on the ecotourists’ expectations for environmental and cultural education.

Table 5: Suggestions of Milia’s visitors on qualitative additional activities. Responses Percent of cases N Percent

Participation in agricultural works 459 30% 60,7% (e.g. bread making, goat milking, harvest, cultivation)

Tours about the nature (e.g. bird watching, biodiversity observation) 568 37,1% 75,1% and the ecological operations of Milia (e.g. photovoltaics, wastewater treatment)

Lessons about the Cretan culture including 397 25,9% 52,5% history, music and dance

Other 106 6,9% 14%

Total 1.530 100% 202,4%

Table 6 shows the attitudes of visitors on their willingness to pay for an additional activity that would be Rewarding, Enriching, Adventurous and Learning (Hudges, 2000). The greatest part of them agreed (57,4%) and the following percentages fluctuated between no opinion (16,1%) and strong agreement (18,8%). It is also suggested the relationship between willingness of people to pay and their annual income level or their previous experience in an ecolodge. Regarding the annual income, the higher the income the more willing were the ecotourists to pay with the low-paid ecotourists being the most neutral, which is something rational. This relationship is better illustrated in Figure 1. For the second case, experienced and non-experienced ecotourists had similar distributions with the experienced ones being slightly more agreeable for paying additional activities, indicating that experience may matter.

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Table 6: Allocation of visitors’ willingness to pay for an additional activity. Moreover, the percentage levels of income and previous experience of ecotourists are allocated according to their willingness to pay. Willingness to pay Strongly No Strongly Disagree Agree Total disagree opinion agree

1,2% 6,5% 16,1% 57,4% 18,8% 100% (9) (49) (122) (434) (142) (756) 3,1% 9,2% 20% 50,8% 16,9% 100% Low (2) (6) (13) (33) (11) (65) 1,5% 7,6% 17,9% 57,4% 15,7% 100% Annual Medium (6) (31) (73) (234) (64) (408) income 0,4% 4,2% 12,7% 59% 23,7% 100% High (1) (12) (36) (167) (67) (283) Total 9 49 122 434 142 756 1,2% 4,5% 14,4% 58,7% 21,3% 100% Previous Yes (5) (18) (58) (237) (86) (404) experience 1,1% 8,8% 18,2% 56% 15,9% 100% in an No (4) (31) (64) (197) (56) (352) ecolodge Total 9 49 122 434 142 756

Figure 1: Relationship between annual

income of Milia’s ecotourists and their willingness to pay for additional activities.

Impressions Table 7 suggests the relationship between people who had a previous experience in an ecolodge or those who visited Milia for the first time and their attitudes on the simplicity of rooms. In all scenarios of the two cases, tourists had similar distributions in the levels of their beliefs. The majority was strongly positive for this specific statement supporting the theory according to which either experienced or non- experienced ecotourists do not seek luxuries.

Table 7: Allocation of experienced and non-experienced ecotourists as well as first-timers and non-first-timers in Milia based on their opinions for the rooms’ simplicity. Simplicity of rooms Strongly No Strongly Disagree Agree Total disagree opinion agree 0,2% 3,7% 6,2% 42,6% 47,3% 100% Previous Yes (1) (15) (25) (172) (191) (404) experience 0,3% 2,6% 7,4% 43,5% 46,3% 100% in an No (1) (9) (26) (153) (163) (352) ecolodge Total 2 24 51 325 354 756 0,3% 3,3% 7% 42,3% 47% 100% Yes (2) (20) (43) (258) (287) (610) First time in 0% 2,7% 5,5% 45,9% 45,9% 100% Milia No (0) (4) (8) (67) (67) (146) Total 2 24 51 325 354 756 31

In addition, Table 8 makes visible the level agreement and strong agreement of visitors who visited Milia importantly and very importantly for healthy nutrition from local products on the quality of the restaurant’s dishes. It seems that the more people paid attention to nutrition the more their enthusiasm on the dishes’ quality based on local goods.

Table 8: Allocation of visitors who visited Milia for healthy nutrition from local products towards their attitudes for the restaurant’s dishes quality.

Qualitative meals

Strongly Agree agree Total

Nutrition from local Important Count 70 181 251

products % within Nutrition from 27,9% 72,1% 100,0% local products

% within Qualitative meals 50,7% 32,0% 35,7%

Very important Count 68 384 452

% within Nutrition from 15,0% 85,0% 100,0% local products

% within Qualitative meals 49,3% 68,0% 64,3% Total Count 138 565 703

% within Nutrition from 19,6% 80,4% 100,0% local products

% within Qualitative meals 100,0% 100,0% 100,0%

In Table 9 is defined at which level the quality of visitors’ experience deserved their money based on their answers. The smashing majority was strongly positive (76,5%) and the percentages of strongly disagreement, disagreement and no opinion on the sentence did not exceed 5% of the total.

Table 9: Allocation of Milia’s visitors on the quality of their experience towards its cost. Strongly Strongly Disagree No opinion Agree Total disagree agree 0% 1,5% 3,3% 18,7% 76,5% 100% (0) (12) (25) (141) (578) (756)

Also, the visitors where asked whether they would recommend Milia to other people and the 99,47% answered positively as it is shown in Pie Chart 2. Pie Chart 2: Visitors’32 answers concerning the recommendation of Milia to others.

Subsequently, significant are the impressions of visitors on the environmental respect of business management and how this affected their attitudes towards their experience’s cost. Table 10 indicates this relationship according to which most Milia’s ecotourists had strongly positive beliefs for both statements in agreement with the theoretical frame which says that the majority is willing to pay more about goods or services produced under sustainable conditions. Figure 2, below, illustrates the positive relationship in which the more respectful Milia’s visitors thought the business’s environmental management was, the more worthy they found the cost of their experience.

Table 10: Visitors’ attitudes on the cost of their experience towards the environmental respect of business. Experience worthy on money Strongly No Strongly Disagree Agree Total disagree opinion agree Strongly 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% disagree (0) (0) (0) (0) (0) (0) 0% 0,1% 0% 0% 0% 0,1% Disagree (0) (1) (0) (0) (0) (1) No 0,1% 0,4% 0,8% 1,5% 1,7% 4,5% Business opinion (1) (3) (6) (11) (13) (34) respectful on 0% 1,1% 2,2% 18,3% 10,1% 31,% environment Agree (0) (8) (17) (138) (76) (239) Strongly 0,1% 0% 0,7% 12,2% 50,8% 63,8% agree (1) (0) (5) (92) (384) (482) 0,3% 1,6% 3,7% 31,9% 62,6% 100% Total (2) (12) (28) (241) (473) (756)

Figure 2: Relationship between experience worthy on money and business respectful on

environment based on visitors’ impressions.

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4. Discussion of findings

4.1 Qualitative From the above we understand Milia’s operations and their impact in the social, natural and business environment itself. Therefore, the discussion of the most evident would be crucial for the conception of recommendations. Milia has managed to eliminate the locals’ skepticism and confliction involving them and making them contributors of the venture’s global recognition. Moreover, the area reclaimed its old glory and has been transformed from a stark barren place into an endless green valley where pasture is fenced, providing though sustainable living to the farm’s animals. To this achievement significant role may also play the fact that Milia works in a scale of 5% with intermediaries, most earnings are gained by and for the business and a great share of them is invested in environmental preservation. Additionally, the chef’s choice for own-produced and local raw materials increases their consumption and decreases transportation costs on the environment. Also, the mild policies for local stock breeders’ goats in Milia’s property imply that the business operates in a way that would not insult or harm the local interests as ecotourism principles suggest. To add more, the promotion of other businesses like Biolea and Meli PAP with which Milia does not have direct relations denotes the owners’ understanding on the chain that connects the audience of alternative tourism with micro enterprises of this orientation. Consequently, Milia’s input in Vlatos is multiple. The international employees who live in Vlatos, registering their children in schools and participating in social events, boost the village’s weak population of 113 people (Data: 2011). At the same time, the business supports the cultural heritage of Vlatos Museum ethically and the cultural events of Vlatos Jazz economically. Moreover, the scant human waste in the hiking trails indicates that, even if there is no direct educational activity concerning nature, awareness of people may be reinforced by interaction with their surroundings. In addition, the few visitors who stay in the restored houses of the isolated settlement discover its architectural culture and contribute to its revival, excluding phenomena of commodification. In the restaurant, also, visitors try traditional recipes and are familiarized with the local nutritional culture, something which in combination with the shop is a great opportunity for the satisfied ones to buy goods

Picture 14: Tassos Gourgouras guides a they’ve tasted, supporting their production. In fact, the offered hike in Polyrinia’s Gorge (©Tassos experiential environmental and cultural education is of high importance Gourgouras, 2017). since it is received by all senses and, therefore, influences the

34 innermost basis of human consciousness. Cultural education is more direct in the cases of guided hikes or cooking lessons, their time schedules’ exceedance of which implies that the activity successfully connects participants from different countries and backgrounds, contributing in exchange of cultures and elimination of xenophobia. Furthermore, Milia has achieved impressive energy efficiency in the rooms via the basic rules of green building and proper water management via biological treatment of waste water and its reuse for the watering needs of trees. In addition, the composting of organic waste recycles its use as natural fertilizer for the cultivations, helping them preserve their moisture and reduce their need for frequent watering, saving a noteworthy amount of the valuable good whereas Picture 15: Restored house with reused and local meat waste is minimized provided to the bearded vultures of rocks (Milia’s archive, 2014) the area, contributing simultaneously to their prosperity. In political level, the founders were and are informed and advised about funding programs in their territory by the Organization of Development of Western Crete, which has been united with the respective Eastern in 2013 as Organization of Development of Crete. These programs may work protectively to rural communities’ exploitation from external investors’ mismanaged projects since people have the opportunity to invest in their land themselves with the demand of a small capital. On the other hand, the business strives to decrease its inferiorities. But is this effort successful? It seems that Milia still has an Achilles heel, difficult to be camouflaged. In fact, it should not because it is these parameters which may lead to critical questions concerning the ecolodge’s ability to serve its aim with the available resources. First and foremost, the business failed to be accessible for all. It’s such a pity when interest from wheelchair users arrives for stay and the answer has to be negative. The preservation of Milia in its previous condition rendered it as an authentic lifetime experience but with the high cost that not all people can have it. Additionally, since the settlement was restored as it was, least leeway was left for new infrastructure and voluntourism. The few staff rooms are restrained in the seasonal accommodation of professionals excluding the possibility of volunteers’ accommodation during high season. In addition, a volunteer chooses his/her working period and is difficult for micro enterprises like Milia to have the time and resources to cope with such turnover which requires constant training in demanding periods. Today, also, the local participation is weak. The fact that no gender or ethnicity discrimination has been detected and international employees stay permanently in the area is something positive but the

35 numbers cannot be overlooked. Only 1/3 of the employees are locals showing that Milia does not attract their interest in professional level probably, at some point, because of its isolated location. To add more, the staff is not continuously trained, which may also affect the theme above. Why would productive employees choose to stay whereas in other workplaces they’d earn, apart from wage, development via training on new trends? Long-term, that issue might be proved damaging for the business. In addition, the narrow road network with the last 2,5 kilometers being dirty maintains the number of visitors sustainable but increases the greenhouse gas production since visitors drive to Milia by car whereas, all these years, there has been soil corrosion and the dirty road has been lowered more than 80 centimeters, the owners admitted. That might not happen if the whole road network would have been covered with asphalt. So what should be done? As Picture 16: The narrow, dirty road to Milia regards Milia’s energy management, wood burning by no means before sunrise. On the right side, a hare can be considered harmless. The gases of its burning do not only (Personal archive, 2019). pollute the environment but also the human body. The Hellenic Anticancer Society’s epistle to the government in 2020 referred to the toxic gases of wood burning which get into the lungs and are transferred into the whole body. The scientists pointed out that the situation is more hazardous in big urban centers and, although Milia is located in an isolated rural area, the fact that they suggested ban in any case creates some complex queries. Also, the remarkable photovoltaic system which covers the greatest part of energy needs cannot hide its back up partner, the small petroleum generator. How green that seems for an ecolodge and what could be done since wind exploitation is inappropriate in Natura 2000 areas? Concerning the business’s operation, although Milia is open all year, high season is considered the period between late March and early November making no difference with the rest, mass tourism destinations of Crete. Seasonality is an issue of the whole island and even if Incredible Crete, the official tourism organization of the Region of Crete, gives great emphasis in special interest tourism and released a new spot in 2019 for the promotion of authentic winter tourism (including scenes from Milia Restaurant), alone cannot do much. For instance, how could all year round tourism be possible when significant natural spots of the island, like Samaria Gorge, remain closed for the public during winter? Furthermore, Milia was included in 4 funding programs but only for one is conducted periodic control. As it was mentioned before, the Organization of Development of Western Crete was informing people about funding opportunities and was supervising the projects’ completion but its duty was stopping there, which means that the operation of a funded project could be mismanaged without detection and consequences. In addition, there is no tax differentiation for Milia and similar lodges in isolated areas which are burdened with higher operational 36 costs. In infrastructural level, the efforts are restrained in the road network, for the improvements of which are invested financial resources exclusively by the ownership of Milia (2004-).

4.2 Quantitative The visitors’ survey findings pointed out that the majority of Milia’s visitors are older (>50) whereas their educational and economic background is higher than average, showing us that the authentic but qualitative ecotourism in Milia may still be the choice of mature, intellectual and wealthy. Interestingly, the companionship differences with quite past research may indicate that, in today’s era, the percentage of solo traveling in Milia might have been gained by the family vacations on the one hand because people became more acquainted with alternative forms of tourism and on the other hand due to the ecolodge’s family-friendly resilience. Subsequently, the guests’ answers for the purposes of their visit enhanced, in general, previous outcomes. The answers depended on their age, though, and differentiations were found even between groups of the same generation, confirming that ecotourists’ categorization is diffucult. Most visitors, also, suggested environmental tours about the nature and the ecological operations of Milia or participation in agricultural works as well as many reckoned with the Cretan culture lessons positively, being agreeable in paying for them. More specifically, the higher their income and experience in ecotourism the more willing were to pay for an additional activity. Moreover, the greatest percentage of either experienced and non-experienced ecotourists or first-timers and non-first-timers in Milia strongly agreed with the simplicity of rooms as proof that luxury was not what they were looking for, but authenticity and, parallelly, the smashing majority of locavores was very satisfied by their food experience at the restaurant. Milia lived up to the visitors’ expectations, also, if we take under consideration the answers on their experience’s cost and the ecolodge’s recommendation to others, implying that the promotional efforts have been oriented in the right direction, attracting the proper audience for the appreciation of Milia’s particular goods and services. Concerning the environmental management, peoples’ impressions were strongly positive influencing their attitudes for the cost of their experience favorably, even though the business does not have a certification.

5. Recommendations

A great part of Milia’s operations is sustainable and, therefore, they should continue as they are. However, for its potentials and inferiorities some indicative advices would be wise to be given. A first recommendation is related with the visitation of local schools with mini buses. Milia should be open to such activities on winter, since the effort for a fruitful apple tree starts by watering its seed. In

37 other words, local students are tomorrow’s local entrepreneurs and their enlightenment from young age might be beneficial for their horizons and consequently their areas. Also, Milia’s shop could be enriched with additional products. The owners could be oriented in the certified products with the brand name “crete”, supporting the effort of the Region of Crete with the Agronutrinional Cooperation to render the qualitative Cretan products recognizable and competitive in the national and international markets. And although the promotion is characterized generally successful due to the volume of direct bookings, the good rankings on TripAdvisor as well as the satisfaction of visitors in the survey, it could be improved with information from the inner environment of the business, which means collection of statistics at the end of visitors’ stay via questionnaire surveys, helping even more in market segmentation. The next suggestion has to do with the stay of disabled people. The settlement has to remain authentic, indeed, but the modification of at least one room for people with kinetic difficulties would be a realistic goal with the symbolic meaning that ecotourism is inclusive and not a privilege of few. Also, their experience could be enriched through high definition videos in Milia’s hiking trails with guiding narration, which could work as virtual nature tours. In addition, voluntourism should be reconsidered. Since Milia is open all year, the empty staff rooms together with the available time and resources, during low season, could be plowed into training of volunteers, who may spread the word about Milia’s sustainable practices by sharing their experiences in social media. Speaking about training, systematic training via educative seminars, whose expenses would be covered by the ownership, may be an investment with a domino of benefits. It could strengthen the current employees’ commitment and value attracting, also, professional interest by other natives. And if so, trained indigenous employees would be a great asset for Milia because they’d combine knowledge on the local area and culture as well as on tourism industry to provide high quality services. Furthermore, Milia’s management needs to invest more in environmental and cultural education. Guests seemed that would appreciate additional organized activities, something which in a second basis could increase their period of stay. The suggested choices on environmental tours and cultural lessons may meet their demands. As for their participation in agricultural works, an extra advantage would be the visitors’ trust on local goods, increasing their consumption and, therefore, production. Meanwhile, the particularity of such adjunctions would create a job opening ideal for a local resident with minimum burden for the business since visitors would be willing to pay for them. Apropos the wood burning, cautious study of its Picture 17: Standard room with fireplace (Milia’s parameters on human health is crucial so that proper archive, 2014).

38 measures to be taken. Its use cannot be easily restrained in the boilers or the oven, but information could be provided to the guests on the consequences of fireplaces or stoves, suggesting their use only once per 2 days of stay, at least as a start, decreasing at the same time unnecessary wood and energy consumption. As for the energy consumption, a solution could be the sustainable machines Gen Bike of AENAOS SA in Heraklion, which convert kinetic into electric energy and are ideally applied in off-grid areas. The readily installed devices could save energy as their resources are renewable, money as their production is relied on the bike’s move and promote wellbeing of the visitors, reducing even in a small scale the generator’s use. And why only static bikes? Biking trails are frequently combined with hiking routes as well as the profile of cycling tourists is common with the ecotourists’. So, the development of a demanding but also safe network for experienced mountain bikers may open new paths for growth. This proposal, though, might be the most long-term since Milia has the basis but not the capital for such a high investment right now. Most importantly, there is still lack of appropriate infrastructure and culture on cycling in national level. With regards to the road network, an engineer would probably be able to give a scientific answer. From a critical point of view, though, the asphalt’s scenario might affect the visitation, disordering the settlement’s balances. Thus, the current situation could be considered efficient since Milia’s sustainability is preserved and the ownership tries to minimize the soil corrosion adding new every year with its own financial resources. In an other approach, the problems of soil corrosion and greenhouse gas emissions could be mitigated by a mini bus. During the period of increased visitation, there could be bus lines from Vlatos to Milia and the opposite. Such an investment might not only smoothen the above problems but also give an extra boost to Vlatos Museum’s visitation, increase public transportation users’ arrivals and the sense of safety to international drivers who may not be experienced in these type of roads as well as attract local job seekers with free transportation to the isolated workplace. Last but not least, communicative bridges should be built among regional and local governors as well as mass and alternative tourism suppliers for the common good. Alternative tourism, and in our case ecotourism, could operate supplementary to mass tourism, balancing its vivid seasonality on Crete and influencing the island’s place in the global tourism market favorably, including the supply of air transportation. A first step, in national level, would be the inclusion of ecolodges in the greek programs of social tourism with bonus nights of stay in order the average greek family to be habituated to ecotourism destinations (Dologlou, 2017). There should be also stricter policies by the Organization of Development of Crete in the future, with at least 1 control per year in funded projects’ operation and penalties in case of mismanagement. Moreover, the greek region confronts difficulties in the road network and so milder taxation may be a fair solution for remote micro enterprises with high operational costs, like Milia, that need to invest equity in such improvements.

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6. Conclusion

Neither healthy human nor healthy business is perfect and, like everything in this world, it will be judged by the quantity of its positive and negative attributes. Concerning Milia Mountain Retreat, the local investors’ will to remediate their land was, apart from courageous, innovative back then, succeeding in the identification and respect of environmental particularities before and after the implementation of the project whereas the continuous support of the Organization of Development of Western Crete was vital on this effort. The ecolodge provides economic incentives for the preservation of the abandoned settlement’s cultural and natural heritage as well as equal job opportunities and enhancement of the local agricultural production. Also, the visitors, whose profiles are so similar as different with other ecotourists’ and their number has been managed to remain sustainable, have the opportunity to be educated culturally and environmentally via the offered activities without signs which imply greenwashing propensities. Milia lived up to their expectations if we take under consideration their positive attitudes towards the rooms’ simplicity, the food’s quality, the business’s environmental respect as well as the cost of their stay and, therefore, the promotional management is characterized effective together with the high percentage of direct reservations. In addition, photovoltaic system, green building, wastewater treatment, biological cultivations and composting are some of Milia’s practices adapted to the contemporary reality of sustainability. However, even if the isolated location of the ecolodge prevented phenomena of commodification, it increases greenhouse gas emissions and trail erosion by cars due to absent public transportation and is unattractive for local job seekers, who may also reject Milia because of the restrained training. Furthermore, the restoration of the settlement based on its previous condition does not favor wheelchair users’ and voluntourists’ accommodation whereas the small petroleum generator’s use and wood burning seem to be problematic. Subsequently, the institutional frames are unclear concerning the control and facilitation of Milia’s operations, which despite the worldwide recognition, continue to be basically seasonal. Positive is that the ecolodge’s positive attributes surpass the negative and the negative can be positive under certain adaptations. Simultaneously, it has been seen that there are paths for further growth which require capital but, above all, information and communication. In conclusion, projects like Milia Mountain Retreat are not easy to be implemented but this is the reason why they are valuable, meeting on the one hand modern travelers’ demand for sustainable policies in tourism and rehabilitating on the other hand abandoned rural areas’ old glory under a new prism.

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Appendices

Interviews’ questions Tassos Gourgouras 1) Ποιοι ήταν οι ιδρυτές της Μηλιάς; 2) Πώς αντέδρασαν αρχικά οι ντόπιοι; 3) Τι είδους επαγγελματίες σχετίζονταν με την περιοχή και ποια ή αντίδρασή τους στο εγχείρημα; 4) Ποια ήταν ή είναι η συμμετοχή των ντόπιων στη Μηλιά; 5) Υπήρξε μέριμνα για προσβασιμότητα ανθρώπων με κινητικές δυσκολίες; 6) Προσφέρεται περιβαλλοντική και πολιτισμική εκπαίδευση στους επισκέπτες, κι αν ναι με ποιόν τρόπο; 7) Πιστεύετε ότι η επιχείρηση συνεισφέρει στην περιβαλλοντική και κοινωνική ενίσχυση της περιοχής κι αν ναι, με ποιόν τρόπο; 8) Το προσωπικό σας αποτελείται μόνο σε μικρό βαθμό από ντόπιους. Σε τι πιστεύετε ότι οφείλεται αυτό; 9) Είναι το φύλο παράγοντας αξιολόγησης ενός υποψήφιου υπαλλήλου για μια θέση και γιατί; 10) Είναι η καταγωγή παράγοντας αξιολόγησης ενός υποψήφιου υπαλλήλου για μια θέση και γιατί; 11) Είναι οι μισθοί ίσοι για όλους κι από τι καθορίζονται; 12) Προσφέρεται εκπαίδευση στο προσωπικό και με ποιόν τρόπο; 13) Δέχεται ο οικισμός εθελοντές και γιατί; 14) Είναι βιώσιμη η επιχείρηση; Ήταν πάντα έτσι; 15) Πώς είναι η πρόσβαση στη Μηλιά; Παίζει ρόλο στον αριθμό των επισκεπτών; 16) Πώς καλύπτονται οι ενεργειακές ανάγκες; 17) Υπάρχει συνεργασία με ταξιδιωτικούς πράκτορες και σε ποιόν βαθμό; 18) Με ποιόν τρόπο διαχειρίζεστε την προβολή της επιχείρησης; 19) Έχετε κάνει κάποια προσπάθεια για απόκτηση σήματος πιστοποίησης;

Giorgos Makrakis 1) Πώς γεννήθηκε η ιδέα της αναβίωσης της Μηλιάς; 2) Με ποιόν τρόπο μάθατε για τον αγρο- οικοτουρισμό; 3) Εξετάστηκε η περιοχή πριν γίνει η πρόταση για το εγχείρημα; 4) Όταν ξεκινήσατε το εγχείρημα με τον κ. Τσουρουνάκη, πώς μάθατε για το χρηματοδοτικό πρόγραμμα; 5) Με ποιόν τρόπο διεκδικήσατε χρηματοδότηση; 6) Πόσες χρηματοδοτήσεις έχει λάβει συνολικά η Μηλιά και για ποιους σκοπούς; 7) Από τις χρηματοδοτήσεις που λάβατε, σε πόσες συνέβαλε η ενημέρωσή σας από τον Οργανισμό Ανάπτυξης Δυτικής Κρήτης; 8) O οικισμός διατηρεί την παραδοσιακή αρχιτεκτονική του ταυτότητα. Με ποιόν τρόπο επετεύχθη αυτό; 9) Μετά το πέρας των χρηματοδοτημένων εργασιών υπήρξε έλεγχος; 10) Περιλαμβάνεται η Μηλιά σε κάποιο ειδικό πλαίσιο φορολόγησης; 11) Υπήρξε κρατική μέριμνα για τη βελτίωση του οδικού δικτύου; 12) Τα τελευταία 2,5 χιλιόμετρα για τον οικισμό καλύπτονται από χωματόδρομο. Υπάρχουν ενδείξεις ότι το έδαφος έχει υποστεί διάβρωση λόγω της διέλευσης οχημάτων όλα αυτά τα χρόνια; 13) Ενισχύει η Μηλιά τους ντόπιους παραγωγούς κι αν ναι, με ποιόν τρόπο; 14) Γνωρίζω ότι για την κάλυψη αναγκών γίνεται καύση ξύλου. Από πού το προμηθεύεστε;

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15) Πώς διαχειρίζεστε τα απόβλητα; 16) Ποιες είναι οι μέθοδοι καλλιέργειας του αγροκτήματος; 17) Ποιων ειδών ζώα περιλαμβάνει η φάρμα της Μηλιάς; Είναι επαρκής ο αριθμός για τις καταναλωτικές ανάγκες των επισκεπτών;

Vasilis Makrakis 1) Ποια είναι η ταυτότητα της κουζίνας του εστιατορίου; 2) Πώς καλύπτονται οι ανάγκες του εστιατορίου σε επίπεδο πρώτων υλών; 3) Γιατί είναι σημαντικό για εσάς να προμηθεύεστε ντόπιες πρώτες ύλες; 4) Αποτέλεσε η εργασία σας στη Μηλιά λόγο για να παραμείνετε στον τόπο σας;

Konstantina Litsardaki 1) Ποια είναι η μόνιμη κατοικία σας; 2) Πόσο επηρεάζει η εργασία σας στη Μηλιά τη συνθήκη διαμονής σας σε ένα χωριό 18 κατοίκων; 3) Έχετε νιώσει ποτέ διαχωρισμό λόγω του φύλου σας;

Chloe Dimitriadi 1) Ποιες είναι οι περίοδοι αυξημένης επισκεψιμότητας στο ελαιοτριβείο σας; 2) Στο βιβλιαράκι των δωματίων της Μηλιάς προτείνονται οι ξεναγήσεις στο ελαιοτριβείο σας. Έχετε κρατήσει κάποιο αρχείο με τον αριθμό των επισκεπτών σας από τη Μηλιά;

Antonis Papagiannakis 1) Ποιες είναι οι περίοδοι αυξημένης επισκεψιμότητας στο μελισσοκομείο σας; 2) Στο βιβλιαράκι των δωματίων της Μηλιάς προτείνονται οι ξεναγήσεις στο μελισσοκομείο σας. Έχετε κρατήσει κάποιο αρχείο με τον αριθμό των επισκεπτών σας από τη Μηλιά;

Martijn Hazelzet 1) When did Vlatos Museum open? 2) Where do the economic resources for the museum’s operation come from? 3) Vlatos Museum is recommended in Milia’s booklet. Is the museum’s visitation influenced by the settlement’s guests? 4) Vlatos Jazz is recommended as a local cultural activity to Milia’s guests. Which is their response? 5) Is there any other contribution of Milia to the operations of Vlatos Museum or Vlatos Jazz?

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Questionnaire survey Dear visitor of Milia, for my dissertation thesis in Hospitality and Tourism Management I am examining the societal and environmental parameters of ecotourism in abandoned and sensitive areas with the case of Milia Mountain Retreat. The human factor is a basic part of it so who would be more suitable to give answers than you, who experience the concept yourselves? Please note that all information will remain confidential and are going to be used only for educational purposes. Although it will take you less than 3 minutes to complete the questionnaire, your participation is of great importance to my research and will be much appreciated.

Thank you in advance, Despina Front desk/Guest relations/Reservations Milia Mountain Retreat

1. Please define your age within the following limits. 7. Looking at the sentences, please say how important a. 18 – 35 each was for you to visit at Milia. (please check with X)

b. 36 – 50 Not at all Not so Very Neutral Important c. 51 – 65 important important important d. > 65 Relaxation in the natural environment

2. Please specify your educational level based Adventurous on the following categories. physical a. Primary activities b. Secondary (e.g. hiking) Education c. Tertiary via Milia’s ecological 3. How would you characterize your annual principals income based on your country’s standards? Healthy a. Low nutrition from locally b. Medium produced c. High ingredients Interaction 4. Did you have a previous experience in an and share of ecolodge? experiences a. Yes with other people b. No Taking photos to 5. Is it the first time that you visit Milia? post on a. Yes social media

b. No

8. Are you satisfied by the quantity of ecotouristic 6. You traveled here with… (please select one answer) activities offered? a. Alone a. Yes b. Partner b. No c. Family

d. Friends

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9. Which do you think would be a qualitative additional activity? (you may choose more than one answer) a. Participation in agricultural works (e.g. bread making, goat milking, cultivation, harvest) b. Tours about the nature (e.g. bird watching, biodiversity observation) and the ecological operations of Milia (e.g. solar panels, liquid waste mechanism) c. Lessons about the Cretan culture including history, music and dance d. Other…………………………………………………

Please read the statements below and indicate your level of agreement or disagreement with them checking the appropriate box. (please check with X) Strongly No Strongly Disagree Agree disagree opinion agree 10. Would you be willing to pay for an additional activity that would be Rewarding, Enriching, Adventurous and Learning (Hudges, 2000) (e.g. participation in agricultural works, nature & eco tours, lessons about culture)? 11. Your room did not include many luxuries. Was that simplicity what you were looking for? 12. Raw materials are locally produced for high quality dishes at the restaurant. Was that achieved? 13. Do you feel that the business gave back life to the previously abandoned area in a sustainable way? 14. According to your experience, is the business management respectful to the environmental sensitivity of the area? 15. Did the quality of your experience worth the amount of money you spent?

16. Would you recommend Milia Mountain Retreat to other people by word of mouth or a review? a. Yes End of Questionnaire Survey b. No Thank you for your participation!

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