With great success and high participation, the three-day training activity of the European Erasmus+ KA220-ADU project WITH4LESS – “WITH you, we can do more for LESS” was completed from April 8 to 10, 2025, in Thessaloniki. The event brought together fifty-one (51) participants -project partners and future Consumeless Advisors for Sustainable Tourism from Greece, Italy, Malta, Bulgaria, Portugal, and Turkey.
The training aimed to strengthen advisory skills related to sustainable management in the tourism sector related to energy, water, waste and green communication. The event was organized by ANATOLIKI S.A. – Organization for Local Development, in cooperation with the project partners.
Day 1 – Learning Day
Hosted at the WE venue in downtown Thessaloniki, the first day featured presentations, best practices, and tools designed to promote sustainability in tourism. After an introductory session and warm-up activities, participants had the opportunity to attend:
- An overview of the With4Less project and its key objectives by the Lead Partner, Energy and Water Agency (EWA, Malta),
- A presentation on the role of the ConsumeLess Advisor and related tools by Centro Euromediterraneo Per lo Sviluppo Sostenibile – SVI.MED (Italy),
- Thematic presentations on the efficient use of energy and water, and waste management in tourist facilities by EWA (Malta), Ecosystem Europe Association (Bulgaria), and ANATOLIKI S.A. (Greece).
The day concluded with a discussion and exchange of feedback among participants.
Day 2 – Study Visit
The second day combined cultural experience with hands-on learning. Participants visited the Archaeological Park and Museum of Dion, followed by a case study visit to Greece’s first zero-waste hotel, the Mediterranean Village Hotel & Spa, located in Pieria.
Mr. Christos Mitsokapas, Quality and Supplies Manager, gave a detailed presentation on the green practices applied by the hotel group in water, waste, and energy management. He also shared the group’s ambition for energy autonomy, the creation of a wind farm, and their participation in EU co-funded programs in collaboration with universities and institutions.
The visit concluded with a lively discussion and a Q&A session with the participants.
Day 3 – Learning & Experience Sharing Day
The final day was held at OK Thess, in Eastern Thessaloniki, and included:
- A presentation by Istanbul Medeniyet University (IMU, Turkey) on how communication tools can be used to promote sustainability in the tourism and hospitality sector,
- An interactive session with role-playing and experiential activities, co-designed by all project partners, helping to internalize the knowledge shared during the seminar,
- A session on engaging local communities in the green transition of the tourism sector by Make it Better (Portugal),
- An open discussion on the future role of Consuleless Advisors, where participants shared their commitments for active involvement in the project’s next steps.
In parallel with the training, the transnational coordination meeting of project partners also took place, where upcoming deliverables and necessary actions were discussed, given the tight project timeline.
