The Greek towns of Poros and Troizinia-Methana are idyllic communities located near Athens that have set out to become a sustainable tourism destination that will provide travelers with unique experiences while supporting and respecting the needs of the local population, culture, landmarks and the environment.
Research shows that although tourism can be a great form of wealth generation and distribution, often as little as 5-10% of tourist spending remains in the destination they are visiting. The benefits of tourism can only be fully realized through an inclusive approach and collaboration between public and private sectors and the host communities.
Project Resound, a social design consultancy, has brought together a team of collaborators to explore and define the ideal tourism experience for both tourists and local stakeholders and to create viable design solutions to encourage sustainable and culturally-appropriate tourism for the region. Lextant is proud to provide support to this team including:
- Project Resound: a social design organization founded on the belief that creative individuals are uniquely equipped to make the world a better place. It partners with like-minded organizations to create people-centered and purpose-driven design solutions.
- Its Greece-based partner is Ec(h)o, a consortium of three local entities, Katheti, Live-Bio and Odyssey, aiming at promoting sustainable tourism in the region of Poros and Troizinia-Methana.
- Ecologists Without Borders a group of exceptional individuals volunteer their time and expertise to restore, protect, and conserve national ecosystems worldwide.
Lextant’s Design Research Associate Lindsay Courtney is one of the lead members of the Project Resound team spearheading this four phase effort.
Phase 1 – Discovery
During the Spring of 2020, the Project Resound Team conducted extensive research into the elements of sustainable tourism as well as interviews with tourists and local stakeholders to create understanding of their expectations, concerns, attitudes and ideas surrounding the subject of tourism.
Phase 2 – Ideal Experience Definition
Throughout the Fall of 2020, the Project Resound team conducted a thorough analysis of all the discovery data and identified the most important drivers of the tourism experience for both tourists and local stakeholders. Lextant leveraged its Insight Translation and Experience Modeling processes at this stage in support of the project to create an Ideal Experience Model to bring these learnings to life.
The team uncovered that the ideal experience is underpinned by respect – respect for each other, the land, locals, visitors, wildlife, cultures, history and more. It’s an experience that cultivates a “We are in this together” mindset supporting a desire to preserve the region for future generations to come.
The project’s Greek partners have embraced this symbiotic approach and renamed the ideal framework model “The Circle of Respect”
Summer 2021 – Development & Delivery
In June and July, the Project Resound Greece collaborators will bring together stakeholders for design sprint workshops aimed at creating viable design solutions that will become the foundation of the area’s sustainable tourism initiative.
The team will create an implementation plan from these sessions and continue to support its partners in Poros and Troizinia-Methana.
For more information about Project Resound, visit https://projectresound.com/insights or follow the project on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ProjectResoundUSA