Recently, the industry has talked a lot about regenerative tourism. While some find the term difficult to define, others already act on regaining what has been lost. The award-winning Cavo Zoe Seaside Hotel in Protaras, Cyprus, is doing just that and bringing more than it takes away.
The seaside hotel, which was rethought and made anew in 2021, opened its doors with what GM Georgos Motsios says is “a mission of creating not simply a profitable business but with a focus on giving back to Protaras, the land, the sea, and nature.”
Cavo Zoe stands gracefully on the grounds of the former Iris Beach Hotel, abandoned and neglected for several years before the current Cavo Zoe owners purchased and rebranded it. With the help of C+ Studio Architects and some fantastic new material science from SVK, a used-up budget hotel by the sea was transformed into a 5-star luxury design masterpiece. The hard work that went into the project brought home two silver 2022 Cyprus Tourism Awards, one for the Renovation/Restoration of a Resort and the other for Wedding Tourism. Below is the video broadcast from the awards showing Cavo Zoe’s GM accepting the silver award for Renovation/Restoration.
It’s interesting, even ironic that the two categories the new hotel won awards for involve reclaiming seemingly irreclaimable space, making it ideal for one of the ultimate human experiences. I am reminded of something Tina O’Dwyer, CEO of The Tourism Space™, said recently about regenerative tourism:
“Regeneration is a movement that sees people as part of nature’s living systems, not dominant over them. It sees people’s role as being that of stewards or guardians of the natural world across generations, honoring what we have inherited and taking responsibility for our legacy.”
This brings me to the “role” Motsios and Cavo Zoe have assumed and a recent charity event for the One Dream One Wish Association. Highlighting the evening were performances by internationally renowned composer and pianist Stefanos Korkolis and his Panik Records vocalist Sofia Manousaki.
This Cyprus charity works to fulfill the wishes of children with cancer, to give financial support to their families, and to provide psychological support to both the children and their families. So, from the start, the Cavo Zoe effort is about the balance it will take to honor our humanity and take responsibility for our future.