Integrating Nature, Culture and Tourism for Sustainable Futures (NEST) - Day 1st

Thursday, April 23rd 2026

09:00-10:00

Registration

10:00-11:30

Tourism Governance, Policy & System Resilience

CHAIR: Christina Beneki

Ionian Academy - Auditorium

Invited Opening Talk: Blue Foundations for Resilient Destinations: Integrating Seagrass Evidence into Coastal Planning and Sustainable Tourism

Gwilym Rowlands

A Satellite-Based Monitoring Framework for Marine Tourism Intensity

Konstantinos Vogklis, Alkmini Gkritzali, Christina Beneki

Cultural Heritage in the Digital Spotlight: Social Media and Urban Promotion

Konstantinos Digkas

The Historic Housing Stock as Tool for Climate Resilience: Opportunities and Challenges, the Case of the Old Town of Corfu

Angeliki Ioan. Chronopoulou

European Framework for Sustainable Tourism Development and Proposed Local Practices

Evangelia Dimitriadi, Antonios Konstantinos Pagratis

11:30-12:00

Coffee Break

12:00-13:00

Opening - Keynote Talks: Senior Fellow Achim Steiner | Professor Dimitri Vayanos

CHAIR: Ilias Giarenis

Ionian Academy - Auditorium

Keynote Talk: Opening address to the conference

Achim Steiner

Keynote Talk: “The Impacts of Tourism: A Perspective from the Aegean”

Dimitri Vayanos

13:00-14:00

Lunch Break

14:00-15:15

Ecosystems, Biodiversity & Climate Resilience in Tourism

CHAIR: Maria Argyropoulou

Ionian Academy - Auditorium

Invited Opening Talk: Wild medicinal plants as drivers of biodiversity and sustainability in the Mediterranean region

Оlha Мykhailenko, Banaz Jalil, Marce Takubessi, Michael Heinrich

Environmental Threats and Management of the Ionian Islands Wetlands

Dionisios Panagiotaras, Ioannis Kokkoris, Katerina Kabassi, Dionysios Koulougliotis, Eleni Gianni, Dimitra Lekka, Pavlos Avramidis

Hybrid Yogurts for Sustainable Nutrition and Climate-Resilient Agrotourism in Mediterranean and Nature-Based Tourism Destinations

Eleni Sakadani, Panagiotis Kandylis, Dimitra Dimitrellou

Investigating ethical consumption in the hotel industry: A qualitative research approach of perceptions regarding environmental and labour issues

Ioulia Partsali, Antonia Delistavrou, Irene Tilikidou

15:30-19:00

Erimitis

Boat trip to Erimitis Beach
Erimitis peninsula in northeast Corfu is an undeveloped coastal area of high ecological value, hosting diverse habitats and functioning as an important biodiversity hotspot.