Colleagues support TUI Care Foundation on the ground

TUI Colleague Evangelos Georgiou about his support for Crete

Many colleagues in the destinations support the work of the TUI Care Foundation. As part of the TUI Care Foundation Month, we are introducing some of them.

“TUI Cares for Crete – Sustainable Food" – is a project of the TUI Care Foundation and sustainability initiative Futouris which aims to link the most important economic factors of the island – tourism and agriculture. In the project, the Foundation enables networking between wine producers, vineyards, olive-growers and olive mills with the local tourism sector and thus contributes to developing the Greek island into a showpiece for sustainable food on holiday. Evangelos Georgiou is spokesperson at TUI Group and supports the project by linking the different stakeholders and serving as a contact point for all organisations involved.

Evangelos Georgiou

What is your full name?
Evangelos Georgiou

How old are you?
39

Where are you from?
I was born in Stuttgart, Germany. My origins are from the Region of Epirus in the mainland of Greece. Have you been there? Go there! ;-)

How did you get involved?
I have worked for TUI in Greece for 8 years – one of which on the island of Crete, and so I had an insight into the market and mentality. I always believed that the people there have strong abilities and love their island. Crete has a huge potential and I understood that this particular project is an excellent example of working together with the aim of materializing this potential and creating something new. Cretans are proud of their island and I enjoy it cooperating with these people towards a common goal.

What are you the most proud of when looking at the development of the project?
Two sectors, tourism and agriculture, are strong in Crete. The project aims to push both sectors forward by interlinking them over a period of 3 years. This is a unique project and also quite challenging. I am amazed by the way the local project participants and stakeholders cooperate. The TUI Care Foundation provided a platform to ca. 200 local farmers, producers, hoteliers and others. Under the great expertise of the Local Food Experts (NGO and local cooperation partner of the Foundation), all partners work closely together. I am also impressed by the way the broader Cretan and Greek community and public have embraced this project and show interest in it. 

How, in your opinion, does your work inspire your colleagues?
Prior to the project I did not have a clue about agriculture, farming and food production, let alone any insights into sustainable farming. With the help of the Local Food Experts and some of the farmers, I have finally understood the very basics of this subject – to this great locals, I seem like a boy who learns to walk.

How do you envision TUI Care Foundation in 5 years?
In five years, TUI Care Foundation will have brought into life a great number of projects, thus having made a difference in the destinations. The locals in these destinations are good in what they are doing and regard the TUI Care Foundation as a trusted partner in helping them take the next step. The work of the Foundation illustrates the importance of international cooperation, mutual understanding and respect towards local communities and nature.

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