On the third and final day of Elafonisos Eco Week, we focused on sustainable tourism, reinforcing our commitment to making Elafonisos a model for responsible travel and ecological resilience. Volkert Rieg, Investor Consultant, emphasized a central message often overlooked in green forums : projects must be attractive to private investors in order to succeed.
Drawing from experience in the investment and construction sectors, he explained that while ecotourism has clear benefits, such as job creation, infrastructure improvement, and population retention in remote areas, these benefits can only materialize if the private sector is properly engaged.
The key challenge, he argued, lies in bridging sustainability goals with investor interests. Rather than focusing on prohibitions and complex regulations, local governments should simplify planning laws, reduce bureaucratic barriers, and offer incentives such as tax cuts to make projects viable. For example, many outdated construction laws still require off-grid resorts to be connected to public infrastructure, despite modern alternatives like solar power and bio-sewage systems.
He called attention to over-regulation in building codes, where standards designed for colder climates are inappropriately applied to Mediterranean regions like Elafonisos, inflating costs and deterring investment.
Certification was highlighted as a key enabler. To attract large-scale institutional funds, projects must meet recognized environmental standards and provide clear sustainability KPIs that investors trust.
In conclusion, Volkert Rieg challenged the notion that capital is inherently at odds with environmental goals. On the contrary, with the right framework, private capital can become a powerful driver of sustainable development. The responsibility lies with both public authorities and investors to create the conditions where green growth is both possible and profitable.