_{Click the CC button for captions}

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE TTG SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL HEROES PROGRAMME

Video transcript

Charlotte Cullinan, TTG Media

Hello and welcome to Crete, where you are joining us on one of our TTG Sustainable Travel Heroes Fam Trips of 2025. This incredible fam for six of our TTG Sustainable Travel Ambassadors is being hosted by easyJet holidays and the Greek National Tourism Organisation, showcasing just what more responsible tourism can look like. Let's hear the agent's highlights. 

Thea Gillingham, Travel Counsellors

So during this trip, it's been amazing to learn about the partnership with easyJet holidays and Planeterra. They've got a really exciting three-year plan and we've been learning all about how some of these new attractions and excursions they're planning are going to uplift local communities and do the world of good here in Crete. 

We've taken part and seen two of the initiatives. The first one is PeriAstron, which is an astronomy experience. It's something so different. You don't think of Crete and think of astronomy, but actually they have amazing dark skies. It's the perfect place to do it. It's such a beautiful island and there's so much good that we can done here. So many rural communities that could benefit so much from tourism that we don't currently give, and it's great to see it implemented in in a relatively mainstream way with easyJet holidays.

Alison Nicholls, Travel Counsellors

We also got to see the original Carob Mill here behind me in action. It went derelict back in the 1960s and it's been completely renovated to be working again, which is brilliant. And what's so exciting is that easyJet holidays and PlaneTerra are working together to uplift these communities and make sure that this history and heritage is kept alive for centuries to come.

Fiona Ollerhead, Escape the Ordinary

So today we've been in the mountains of Crete visiting the Agreco Farm, which is operated by Grecotel. We've had the most amazing day, and we some bread, we cooked the bread in the traditional, what would've been the village oven. We learned how honey is produced and how it's spun. And we had a look at the olive press and we got dancing on some grapes with some local music, which was amazing. Then we had a little try of the local cheeses that they make here. And then we were absolutely spoiled with the most amazing lunch and the most amazing views with the delicious wine. 

When I get home, I'm going to be of course talking to loads and loads of people about this amazing experience and particularly to people who are really interested in artisan ways of making food, and of growing food as well. And also learning more about the traditions, particularly of Crete, but obviously the wider Greek community as well. 

Lisa Connolly, Travel Counsellors

Today we went to the Palace of King Minos, who was king of the island in the Bronze Age. We had a local guide from the Greek Ministry of Tourism. She was really knowledgeable. She told us everything about all the Greek mythology and all the history of the place. It was really interesting. I would recommend having a local guide, because obviously that supports the local tourism. My top tip would be to come in shoulder season. In July and August, it’s open air, so it’s going to be really hot and really busy. So if you are interested in the Greek history, then come in the quieter months. Also, coming in the shoulder season spreads the benefit of tourism. 

Marie Gardner, Not Just Travel

During our stay we've been at the Cook's Club Hersonissos and it's absolutely beautiful. It's one of 2,200 certified sustainable properties with easyJet holidays, and it has a Green Key certification. And we were really lucky, as we've not only stayed here just to experience the ambience in the hotel, we also were given a behind-the-scenes tour, where they showed us what they're doing to drive their sustainability efforts.

Thea Gillingham, Travel Counsellors

I think there's so much good we can do with what we do as agents, and the change that we can make. And it's really exciting to see the changes that we can slightly, kind of push our clients to make, shall we say, in the best way possible, and make sure that travel is being beneficial and not damaging, to both the environment and the communities that we visit. 

And I think it's a really, really exciting time to be in travel, and certainly sustainability wise, it's a really exciting time to see the developments currently ongoing.