LuxurIOS Island Experience is a Greek owned travel business born out of a love for our country and respect for Greece’s cultural and natural heritage. Like many Greeks, we used to pass our summers travelling from island to island in the Aegean Sea enjoying its natural beauty and having fun swimming and eating fresh local meals in seaside tavernas in small towns and villages we discovered along the way.
Greece was very different 25 years ago, a country in its very early stages of tourism, with many islands still untouched by overdevelopment. As the country organized itself around what would soon become its largest contributor to the economy – the travel and tourism industry - many of Greece’s iconic islands started surrendering their character and beauty to the economic promises of mass tourism growth.
These islands gave up large sections of their traditional communities and small fishing ports to virtually unrestricted and unsustainable construction, becoming victims of their own economic gain as rapid mass tourism development also led to environmental degradation and loss of authenticity.
Ios, on the other hand, without an airport and largely known only to backpackers and intrepid travelers, escaped the mass tourism tide that washed over other islands. The tourists who came to Ios frequented the main town and the two nearest beaches. The rest of the island was left virtually untouched, and still a place of dramatic natural beauty and cultural authenticity.
We decided that we wanted to promote sustainable tourism in Greece and help to protect the cultural and natural heritage of Ios. We purchased a significant amount of land on Ios with the purpose of preserving it for the future by pursuing a model for sustainable development that included safeguarding vast tracts of natural landscape and building a small collection of private villas and boutique hotels based upon environmentally-friendly design and construction, working closely with the local community, and providing direct economic benefits through responsible tourism development.
Our aim is to use a low-impact, environmentally sensible approach to sustainably develop the land by leaving 99% of it undeveloped, so that Ios’ natural beauty, unspoiled beaches, sense of place and Greek island cultural heritage continues to thrive for future generations of locals and visitors alike.
MISSION STATEMENT
LuxurIOS Island Experience is committed to sustainable tourism principles and practices. We are firm believers that when planned and managed well, tourism can be a powerful force for protecting natural and cultural heritage.
Our sustainable development philosophy means that we source as much of our supplies locally as we can, including building with local materials, serving local foods in our restaurants and employing local people to the greatest degree possible.
We have made a conscious decision to build on only 1% of the land we own on Ios, leaving 99% to remain as part of nature to help ensure that future generations will also be able to enjoy the wild beauty of Ios and its magnificent beaches.
SUSTAINABILITY
Preserving & Restoring Nature
We have planted more than 55,000 trees and bushes to restore previously burned habitat by wild fires and land deforestation. This also helps decrease our carbon footprint and helps to assure that the future of the island will be greener. This action is the largest private land restoration project undertaken in Greece.
We have also transplanted 283 ancient olive trees from the Peloponnese (most are 300 years old) which were about to be cut down for a development project there. We transported them across the mainland to Athens and then by boat to Ios where they were replanted with the supervision and assistance of specialists.
Rainwater Collection & Water Preservation
In each of our properties we have installed extensive water catchment systems that collect about 5 million liters (1.1 million gallons) of rainwater per year stored in 12 large underground reservoirs. Rainwater which is collected during the rainy season (autumn and winter) is then used during the dry season (spring and summer). Through this system we are able to conserve a large quantity of water which provides the majority of the water for irrigation needs.
Building Our Eco-Consciousness
In all our properties we install our electrical power lines underground so that we do not visually pollute the natural landscape. In addition, by using a special stone cutter machine, we have being recycling the rock which is unearthed from the excavations of our buildings.
By cutting it in various sizes we provide the necessary building materials for cement on location, as well as plaster and gravel for the finish work. For the walls of our constructions we use the same approach: rock excavated on location in the actual digging of the foundation is recycled back into the building itself.
By using this method we have minimized construction waste and also significantly reduced our carbon footprint instead of increasing fossil fuel transportation by importing construction materials from far away.
This approach is more costly but it gives us a tremendous sense of relief that we are minimizing the impact of own construction on Mother Earth.
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Supporting the Local People
We are actively committed to the well-being of the local community including donating the only boat that the Coast Guard of Ios has in order to protect the surrounding waters, supporting the local medical center and providing significant financial assistance to the Ios cooperative of shepherds.
We organize music lessons for the children on the island to practice, socialize and develop healthy interests, especially during the slow months of the winter and yoga instruction in the square for local residents to experience and enjoy.
Enhancing the Local Economy
We support the local economy by hiring people from within the community and buying products from local agricultural producers and artists.
We provide work to local managers, craftsmen and workers all year round and we are the largest employer on the island. In all our properties we hire local guides who know the island stories, culture and traditions, providing our guests with a vast wealth of information about Ios.
