From Leisure to Responsibility: Environmental Awareness of Domestic Tourists in Greece on Climate, Water Resources, and Renewable Energy Use

Abstract

Countries encounter significant challenges in the context of the climate crisis, prompting the implementation of environmentally sustainable measures in vulnerable sectors such as tourism. Nevertheless, inadequate levels of public awareness often delay or—in certain cases—hinder the adoption of such measures. This study focuses on the tourism sector in Greece, which is particularly resource-intensive in terms of energy and water consumption, especially in regions frequently affected by extreme weather events. The study’s objective is to evaluate the level of environmental awareness and behavioral profiles of tourists. Firstly, our study provides a literature review addressing the tourism vulnerabilities related to climate change, the nexus between tourism and environmental pressures, the role of public awareness in shaping policy obstacles, and finally issues related to environmental social and individual responsibility and attitudes. Subsequently, a relevant survey was conducted using a structured questionnaire to outline the profile and preferences of home domestic tourists in Greece. Our results indicate a generally moderate to low level of awareness: approximately 80% of respondents believe tourism has minimal or no impact on climate change, while only about 15% endorsed the need for stricter regulatory measures. Moreover, our findings underscore a significant knowledge gap regarding ongoing challenges related to water resource management. Notably, respondents with higher levels of awareness exhibited more positive attitudes towards sustainability-oriented measures. Overall, our study indicates that enhancing environmental awareness through targeted campaigns and effective communication strategies is crucial. In this respect, cultivating the notion of the “responsible tourist” emerges as a key prerequisite for ensuring the long-term sustainability of the tourism sector in Greece, as a responsible tourist contributes to the long-term sustainability and the tourist profile of a destination for both visitors and residents.

1. Introduction

The impacts of climate change, including global warming [1,2], droughts, and extreme weather events [3,4,5], are increasingly evident across a wide range of social and economic sectors. In this respect, tourism is particularly vulnerable due to its reliance on outdoor activities, seasonality, and extensive utilization of both energy and water resources [6,7,8,9]. This vulnerability, in particular, has emerged as a core subject of extensive analysis in the current literature.

One of the most significant climate change-related threats is extreme heat—often in the form of prolonged heatwaves—that directly reduces tourist arrivals [10] and imperils the sustainability of summer destinations. A recent study conducted in China [11] found that each 1 °C rise in temperature corresponds to an estimated 8% decline in arrivals and a subsequent 6% reduction in revenue. Similarly, survey data from Europe [12] demonstrate that tourists are discouraged by combinations of heatwaves and adverse weather events such as thunderstorms. Globally, the concept of tourist “thermal comfort” is being increasingly recognized as a key determinant of vulnerability and therefore is widely studied across a wide spectrum of diverse destinations [13,14,15,16]. Given that extreme weather events are projected to become increasingly frequent in popular summer destinations, such as the Mediterranean [17,18], tourism-related risks are expected to escalate.

Extensive droughts represent another major challenge, especially for destinations dependent on summer tourism. As a consequence, decreased water availability [19,20,21,22] poses a significant threat, given that tourism is principally a water-reliant industry, often consuming several times more water per visitor than local residents [23]. In Spain, the water footprint of tourism has been estimated at 6.9 km³/year, representing a substantial share of the national total of 55.1 km³/year [24]. High-profile cases, such as the Cape Town drought in 2018 [25], highlight the severe impacts of water scarcity on tourist arrivals and revenues. Similarly, droughts negatively affect water-related leisure, service quality, and also perceptions of a destination’s reliability [26]. For instance, the Australian Millennium Drought was estimated to have cost approximately USD 200 million annually in lost tourism revenue [27].

Climate change also poses significant risks for winter tourism. Destinations dependent mainly on snow-based activities, such as winter sports, may experience either significant disruptions or, particularly in recent years, complete cessation of operations [28]. Conversely, northern, non-alpine destinations not solely sustained by seasonal recreations may benefit from shifting preferences, as evident from modest increases in arrivals of tourists avoiding excessively warm destinations [29].

Furthermore, tourism is susceptible to both financial and operational implications of sustainability policies. The sector contributes substantially to global greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for an estimated 5–8% of the total [30,31], primarily through transportation and accommodation. Accordingly, it falls within the scope of international climate mitigation efforts. Potential pitfalls include increased accommodation costs related to sustainable retrofitting [32,33] and higher expenses for environmentally friendly services such as meals [34]. In addition, mobility and destination accessibility may also be affected by electrification policies and the accelerated transition to renewable energy sources (RESs) [35]. While the transition to RESs is broadly beneficial, it may pose significant challenges for the tourism sector, related to the former’s impact on landscape aesthetics, environmental consequences, natural resource demands, and related technology life-cycle management [36,37]. These considerations stress the necessity of careful planning and policy design to balance the expansion of RESs with the preservation of tourism’s environmental and economic viability. Overall, tourism operates within a complex and evolving environment shaped by climatic, natural resource-related, and policy demands. The present study examines these complex dynamics in the context of Greece, a country characterized by a high volume of tourist activity combined with increased exposure to the aforementioned vulnerabilities. Prior research [38] has highlighted that climate change and concerns related to natural resource availability, particularly water scarcity, are likely to evoke a higher financial burden within the tourism ecosystem.

1.1. Vulnerabilities of Tourism in Greece

Within this broader context, Greece provides a particularly relevant case study, as tourism is one of the cornerstones of the national economy, whilst in parallel, the country witnesses mounting pressures from climate change, resource scarcity, and the rapid adoption of renewable energy. Examining these vulnerabilities at both the national and regional levels allows for a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities shaping the sustainability of Greek tourism. Official data for 2023 [39] indicate that the tourism industry contributed to approximately 13% of national GDP, with over 32 million tourist arrivals as compared to 17 million in 2022 and hotel capacity increasing by 20% since 2008 [40]. Concurrently, Greece achieved significant progress in renewable energy integration, with RESs steadily increasing their share in the national energy mix since 2013 [41,42], surpassing 47% in 2024 [43]. Projections anticipate further growth to align with EU targets for phasing out fossil fuels by 2028 [44] and reaching carbon neutrality by 2050 [45,46].

While the expansion of RESs offers valid avenues for decarbonization, its implications for tourism must be assessed considering both spatial and temporal variability. National and regional data often conceal the differing distribution of tourism activity and energy demand [47]. In Greece, more than 50% of hotels are located on islands [48], which may account for a relatively small share of land, but experience concentrated seasonal energy demands [49,50]. The majority of these islands receive limited RES investments and, in many cases, are disconnected from the mainland energy grid. A relevant example of RES installations is given in Figure 1. As a result, numerous hotels and other accommodations delay or postpone the adoption of green energy solutions [51,52] and/or may face the emerging need to invest in independent systems for electricity, heating, and, most importantly, cooling for securing thermal comfort [53,54,55,56,57,58].

However, associated investment costs may considerably raise operational expenses [59], thereby undermining the competitiveness of the Greek tourism industry. This dual pressure—rising demand for eco-sustainable solutions, on one hand, and the accompanying financial burden of transition—demonstrates the complexity of managing tourism vulnerabilities in Greece.

The Water Exploitation Index (WEI), introduced by the European Commission as an indicator of scarcity [60], places Greece consistently among the top five EU countries, with an upward trend in recent years. Eurostat data from 2022 [61] indicates that Greece’s WEI was 13.82, which is more than twice the EU’s average of 5.72. Satellite imagery from the EU’s Copernicus system provides visual evidence of drought’s impact and risk, through data on affected areas and those at risk (Combined Drought Indicator), further demonstrating Greece’s vulnerability to water scarcity (Figure 2).

Ultimately, climate projections reinforce these concerns: simulations predict a statistically significant long-term decline in precipitation, alongside an alarmingly instantaneous increase in temperature [62]. Several studies provide further evidence that Greece, along with most parts of Southern Europe, faces worsening drought conditions [63]. Historical data from 1990 to 2016 suggest that drought-related disruptions already affect 1–2% of regional GDP, while agriculture has been identified as the most affected production sector [19,63,64]. However, arising adverse consequences extend beyond agriculture, as the country’s most popular tourist destinations are also mostly drought-prone [65]. Proposed adaptation strategies, such as the deployment of desalination plants [66,67], underscore the pressing need to address relevant challenges in a timely manner.

Figure 2. Combined Drought Indicator (CDI) for the months June (up) and September (down) 2024. Generated using Copernicus Emergency Management Service information (2025) [68].

Figure 2. Combined Drought Indicator (CDI) for the months June (up) and September (down) 2024. Generated using Copernicus Emergency Management Service information (2025) [68].

Taken together, evidence suggests that tourism in Greece faces an overwhelming strain due to high visitor influx and, thus, growing energy and water demands, further burdened by climate-related stressors and the urgent need to adopt stricter sustainability regulations and policies. In this respect, tourism is implicated in a bidirectional relationship with climate change: it is both affected by and contributes to environmental pressures. Increased water and energy use, waste generation, and air pollution from tourism activities [69,70,71] have been widely documented as environmentally detrimental. The sustainability of the sector is thus contingent upon its ability, together with that of tourists themselves, to adapt successfully to both rapidly evolving climate changes and more efficient and responsible, though difficult to implement, environmental policies. This raises a key question: to what extent are tourists aware of these challenges, and how willing are they to embrace cleaner and more sustainable practices? The present study aims to address this question in the Greek context.

1.2. The Impact of Environmental Awareness on Attitude and Responsible Behavior

Public awareness of climate change is a critical determinant of both policy effectiveness and public behavior, as it largely determines the adoption and successful implementation of governmental policies on renewable energy and resource management; furthermore, awareness is formulated by state-led campaigns and initiatives. A recent study on air pollution awareness in China [72] found that public opinion and awareness were the strongest drivers of new environmental regulations, based on the analysis of more than 800,000 samples from 2011 to 2021. Similarly, data from OECD countries [73] show a positive correlation between public environmental awareness and the adoption of climate-related policy measures between 2004 and 2020.

Globally, environmental awareness is typically linked to positive attitudes towards sustainable practices. Accordingly, governments and environmental scientists attempt to continuously measure and enhance public awareness of environmental issues, across multiple domains. Examples in the recent literature involve surveys on marine pollution [74], in which respondents were asked to submit their opinion on marine waste sources and express their willingness to adopt pro-environmental behavioral changes, as well as studies on air pollution awareness in China [75], where the release of the documentary “Under the Dome” strongly influenced the degree of public concern. Similarly, diverse campaign-based interventions have also proven effective in promoting behavioral change and supporting adaptation efforts, such as reducing car travel [76], altering consumer choices regarding palm oil as a biofuel [77], or enhancing water conservation awareness through public murals in Ecuador [78].

In addition, awareness studies often reveal existing barriers to seamless environmental policy adoption. Comprehensive reviews of relevant research indicate that the primary obstacle relates to the immediate financial burden imposed by a similar transition: although the public may recognize the harms of climate change, willingness to support novel sustainable measures decreases when these are perceived as prohibitive [79,80,81] or even detrimental to economic growth [82].

Tourism-specific studies on public “consciousness,” similarly link environmental responsibility with awareness. Evidence from Italy, Singapore, Slovakia, Indonesia, China, and South Africa demonstrates that tourists generally appreciate eco-labeled destinations and, moreover, are willing to absorb additional costs associated with renewable energy, water conservation, or low-emission transport [25,83,84,85,86,87,88]. Nonetheless, significant variations exist by age, income, and region. Younger tourists in Poland were more inclined to choose high-emission transport [89], whereas higher-income tourists in Spain were more willing to pay a premium for an eco-labeled sunscreen [90]. The COVID-19 pandemic has further impacted society’s perceptions of sustainable practices [91], underscoring the need for continuous and context-specific assessments of tourist awareness as part of a multi-channel approach to design tailored interventions.

1.3. Present Work’s Objective Contributions

The present study investigates environmental awareness and perceptions of sustainable solutions, with a particular focus on water resource management and domestic tourism in Greece. Our primary objective was to assess whether and to what extent the public recognizes the link between climate change and tourism, and to evaluate their willingness to support behavioral changes and novel policy measures in areas such as renewable energy adoption and water resources conservation.

This study contributes to the literature by addressing a notable gap: despite the urgent vulnerabilities facing the sector, limited data exist on public awareness and preferences specifically related to tourism in Greece [41,81]. By providing empirical evidence, this work offers insights that may inform future policy-making, ensuring that adaptation strategies for tourism reflect both the sector’s environmental footprint and the public’s readiness to embrace change.

2. Materials and Methods

To meet the study’s objective—namely, assessing the level of environmental awareness and behavioral profiles of tourists—a questionnaire-based survey was conducted, following standard practices in the relevant literature [25,74,81,92,93,94,95].

A total of n = 1200 participants from diverse social, economic, and cultural backgrounds were surveyed. The survey consisted of q = 25 questions, divided into three thematic sections. The sample of 1200 responses greatly exceeded the 5:1 ratio against the 25 survey items; therefore, a good indicator of data sufficiency was established according to standard literature practices [96]. Survey items were closed-ended and measured on a Likert scale [96] where applicable.

The questionnaire was designed by the researcher specifically for this study, and its distribution was carried out by postgraduate students who shared the survey link across different regions of Greece, thus ensuring a geographically diverse sample of participants. The questionnaire was distributed in Greek via an online Google Forms platform between November 2024 and January 2025. Responses were collected from participants across different regions of Greece. An initial pilot involved 80 respondents for testing purposes. The main data collection employed convenience sampling [96], with the questionnaire shared online via academic and social networks. Participation was voluntary and anonymous. Nonetheless, due to the convenience sampling method, the study recognizes limitations in representativeness, such as possible biases related to age, digital access, and urban areas. An initial pilot sample of 80 respondents was used for testing, and simple random sampling was employed for the final data collection [96]. Participation in the survey was voluntary and anonymous.

2.1. Design of Research Questions

The questionnaire design was formulated considering previous research data, thus ensuring coverage of the study’s main thematic areas:

• Awareness of climate change effects on tourism and water resources;
• Awareness of RESs and opinions on their role in water and resource management in tourism;
• Willingness to accept additional costs or actions associated with sustainable practices.

The first section (5 questions) captured demographic information, acknowledging that socioeconomic differences among tourists [25,89,90,91] may influence their environmental attitudes and preferences.

The second section (9 questions, Q6–Q14) aimed to assess awareness of how climate change affects tourism and water resources, as well as attitudes towards regulatory measures. The questions addressed included the following:

• Knowledge of climate change impacts [1,2,3,4,5];
• Perceptions of the importance of most significant effects (e.g., drought, extreme weather events);
• Understanding of climate change impacts on destinations [6,7,8,9,17,18];
• Exploring the impacts of climate change on water resources in tourism-related destinations and water-related phenomena [22,23,57,58,61,62,63];
• Opinions on the necessity of green policies and resource management in tourism [89,90,91];
• Perceptions of the adequacy of current legal and policy frameworks;
• Identification of potential barriers to green policy adoption, such as low awareness or high costs [38,59].

The third section (11 questions, Q15–Q25) explored the knowledge of and attitudes towards RESs in the tourism sector. Specifically, it investigated the following:

• Perceived knowledge of RESs and their environmental benefits [30,31,69,70,71];
• The influence of RES use on the attractiveness of destinations and accommodations [32,33,35,36,37];
• Willingness to choose destinations adopting RES practices;
• Willingness to bear the cost of RES-related operations [32,59];
• Acceptance of initiatives promoting RES integration in tourism;
• Opinions on prioritizing RES investments in the sector [51,52,53,54,55,56].

The survey was thus designed with the concept of the “responsible tourist” in mind, defined as a traveler who engages in behaviors that promote sustainable resource use and minimize negative impacts on destinations [97].

2.2. Data Analysis

Survey responses were exported from Google Forms into Microsoft Excel and IBM SPSS (Version v.26.0) for graphical representations and statistical analysis. Descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, and means) were first applied to summarize demographic characteristics and general trends. Cross-tabulations were then performed to examine potential associations between demographic variables and levels of awareness or willingness to adopt sustainable practices. Where appropriate, chi-square tests were used to assess statistical significance.

In addition, correlation analysis was employed to explore relationships between awareness of climate change impacts, attitudes towards policy measures, and willingness to contribute financially to sustainability initiatives. More specifically, Pearson correlation coefficients [98] were calculated between awareness-related responses (questions Q6–Q8, Q10, Q15, Q16), opinion/attitude-related responses (questions Q12, Q13, Q19, Q23–Q25), and water scarcity importance responses (Q9 and Q11), in line with established practices for survey-based research [99,100,101].

Factor analysis was used to identify latent variables in the respondents’ attitudes towards renewable energy and water management. The overall analytical framework aimed to map both the general profile of tourist awareness and the nuanced behavioral patterns relevant to sustainable tourism in Greece.

3. Results and Discussion

Survey responses were processed to obtain descriptive statistics. Figure 3 presents the demographic background of the sample, while the complete set of questionnaire responses is provided in Appendix A. A summary of key findings and emerging trends is illustrated in Figure 4 and Figure 5, following a presentation format similar to [41], with both counts and percentages reported for each answer category.

The correlation analysis (

Table 1. Correlation coefficients between awareness and demographic characteristics.

	Correlation Coefficients per Question Pair
Demographics	Question	Awareness
		Q6	Q7	Q8	Q10	Q15	Q16
	Q	−0.0071	−9.8 × 10−4	0.0077	0.072	2.4 × 10−4	0.004765
	Q3	0.146	0.0412	0.0819	0.0979	0.1608	0.1014
	Q5	0.0738	0.0381	0.0367	0.1228	0.1018	0.0908

) between demographic characteristics (questions Q2, Q3, and Q5—age, education, and income) and awareness-related variables (questions Q6–Q8, Q10, Q15, and Q16) revealed very weak relationships, with correlation coefficients mostly below 0.1. Only a few combinations demonstrated slightly positive but still negligible associations. Five out of the eighteen combinations (Q3–Q6, Q3–Q15, Q3–Q16, Q5–Q10, Q5–Q15) showed only slightly positive but still negligible associations. This indicates that demographic factors have minimal influence on respondents’ awareness levels regarding climate change, water resource conservation, and renewable energy use. Τhe analysis examining the relationship between demographic variables and attitudinal measures showed no meaningful correlations at all, suggesting that respondents’ attitudes toward environmental and sustainability issues appear largely independent of demographic characteristics such as age, educational level, or income.

Overall, 81.07% of respondents rated their awareness of climate change impacts as moderate to low. This finding is consistent with 79.74% and 82.07% of respondents, respectively, who demonstrated moderate to low beliefs in the fact that tourism and water resources are significantly affected by climate change. When asked to identify the most important impact of climate change in general, 26.41% selected water scarcity. This percentage rose to 33.5% when participants were asked specifically about the single most important impact on tourism.

A similar pattern was observed with respect to renewable energy sources (RESs). Approximately 76.82% of respondents assessed their knowledge of RES technologies as moderate to low, while 83.32% expressed moderate to low belief in the fact that the adoption of RESs in tourism could yield positive effects on climate change. These results suggest a clear alignment between self-perceived knowledge and attitudes: lower levels of awareness are directly reflected in less optimistic beliefs.

Investigating opinions and attitudes towards green policies, responses revealed more complex patterns with results presented in Figure 6. The majority of those surveyed (68.91%) believed that the tourism sector should endorse stricter measures regarding water resource management in the near future. However, 75% of them either oppose or reject stricter climate change measures in general, and 53.08% advocate for restrained (moderate to low) levels of RES adoption in tourism-related activities. Despite this, 49.55% and 53.83% of those, respectively, express eagerness to incur additional expenses associated with RES use in destinations. Taken together, these results suggest that while respondents are generally supportive of contributing personally to sustainability initiatives, they are less receptive to the imposition of stricter regulatory measures.

Correlation analysis (

Table 2. Correlation coefficients between awareness and attitude of the respondents.

	Correlation Coefficients per Question Pair
Awareness		Attitude of Respondents
	Question	Q12	Q13	Q19	Q23	Q24	Q25
	Q6	−0.0809	0.2166	0.0966	0.1613	0.1583	0.278659
	Q7	0.03261	−0.1835	0.2711	0.235768	0.1705	0.01411
	Q8	−0.1853	0.2991	0.1574	0.1873282	0.25242	0.31714
	Q10	−0.198879	0.4169	0.0367	0.0523	0.1556	0.3521
	Q15	−0.077329	0.254109	−0.0185	0.071436	0.1414	0.3007
	Q16	−0.12902	0.42972	0.1094	0.150438	0.2424	0.4254

) demonstrates that positive attitudes towards climate-related measures are strongly associated with higher levels of perceived awareness with the exception of question Q12, for which 68.91% of respondents supported immediate adoption of water resource management measures. The absence of correlation here may indicate that the question was misinterpreted or perceived differently by some of the participants. Nevertheless, results clearly support the conclusion that enhancing awareness of climate change impacts and RESs in tourism can foster more favorable attitudes towards sustainable practices. The correlation between question Q10 (perceived impact of climate change on water resources in tourism) and question Q13 (openness to stricter legislation) is included. Correlation coefficients above 0.2, indicating at least a weak positive relationship, are highlighted in bold. In these cases, p-values were consistently close to zero, suggesting strong statistical significance. For example, the correlation between questions Q6 and Q13 yielded a p-value of approximately 3.29 × 10⁻¹⁴.

Finally, questions Q9 and Q11, both addressing the importance of water scarcity, showed minimal correlation (

Table 3. Correlation coefficients between awareness and perceived importance towards water scarcity.

Correlation Coefficients per Question Pair
	Perceived importance of Respondents towards water scarcity
Awareness	Question	Q9	Q11
	Q6	0.0581	0.0960
	Q7	0.0702	−0.0355
	Q8	0.0483	0.0984
	Q10	0.0111	0.2025
	Q15	0.0161	0.1126
	Q16	−0.0276	0.1143

) with other awareness variables (Q6–Q8, Q10, Q15, Q16). The maximum coefficients were 0.07 for question 9 and 0.13 for question 11. The correlation coefficients remained mostly below 0.2, with the highest being 0.07 for question Q9 and one instance of 0.20 for another question Q11. When combined with earlier findings, this suggests that participants do not strongly associate water scarcity with broader climate change effects, despite ranking it as a top individual concern.

These findings align with prior international research highlighting that tourists often underestimate the relationship between their activities and climate change while expressing the willingness to support sustainability under specific conditions. Similar results have been reported in Italy, Singapore, and South Africa, where tourists indicated readiness to contribute financially to eco-friendly practices, though hesitancy remained towards mandatory regulatory measures [25,83,84,85,86,87,88]. The weak association observed in Greece between awareness of water scarcity and broader climate change parallels similar studies from Spain, where tourists recognized water as a key resource issue but did not consistently link it to climate dynamics [24]. At the same time, the positive correlation between higher awareness and willingness to adopt sustainability measures confirms patterns observed in China [11] and OECD countries [73], reinforcing the conclusion that awareness-raising campaigns can serve as a powerful tool for encouraging more responsible tourist behavior. Overall, this study underscores that the success of green transitions in tourism depends not only on policy design but also on targeted strategies to elevate public awareness and foster acceptance.

Additionally, our results carry important implications for tourism policy and management in Greece. First, the generally low levels of awareness call for “targeted communication campaigns” tailored to tourists, with emphasis on linking climate change directly to issues that respondents already recognize as important, such as water scarcity, thus fostering a sense of personal responsibility and a shared commitment to sustainability. Tailored campaigns could be region-specific, particularly for island destinations where the pressure on water and energy resources is most acute, focusing on issues such as conserving energy and water and even promoting the sustainable use of local food sources.

Second, the willingness of respondents to voluntarily contribute to costs and actions suggests that “incentive-based schemes”—for example, discounts or eco-label recognition for accommodations that adopt RESs or water-saving technologies—may be more effective than imposing mandatory regulations. This approach aligns with the observed hesitancy to strict policy enforcement.

Third, integrating sustainability goals within the broader framework of the “EU Green Deal” and national energy transition targets could help ensure that tourism policies are consistent with Greece’s decarbonization pathway. In this context, investment in decentralized RES solutions for islands and relevant eco-certification programs for hotels should be prioritized.

Fourth, public investment in integrated systems for water management in vulnerable tourist destinations and water-scarce regions, especially in Greek islands, particularly through EU funding, is a cornerstone of tourism resilience. A recent study regarding small islands has proposed the deployment of hybrid renewable energy systems (HRESs) with desalination technologies, which have demonstrated high coverage of energy (up to 87%) and water demand (up to 99.99%) at a relatively low cost (~EUR 3/m³ and 0.016–0.131 EUR/kWh) [54]. Finally, creating channels for public input and participation in environmental governance may strengthen policy impact and credibility. Collaboration between the public sector, private tourism operators, and local communities is crucial. Raising awareness not only among tourists but also among stakeholders in the tourism supply chain (accommodation providers, transport operators, and local authorities) will be central to achieving a shift towards “responsible tourism”.

Although the proposed interventions—such as awareness campaigns, the promotion of eco-label certification, and decentralized RES investments—could significantly enhance sustainability outcomes in the Greek tourism sector, their implementation poses notable challenges. Financial constraints, limited institutional capacity, and governance inefficiencies continue to impede a fully scaled adoption of responsible and energy-efficient practices. In this context, national and regional policies should focus not only on promoting sustainable behavior but also on establishing financial incentives and administrative frameworks that will ensure the efficient and transparent engagement of relevant stakeholders.

4. Conclusions

Climate change exerts significant pressures on multiple economic sectors and therefore requires thorough consideration for both short- and long-term planning. Tourism, in particular, is deeply intertwined with the environment: it contributes to climate change through resource consumption and emissions, while simultaneously being highly susceptible to its impacts. This study examined the case of Greece, a country where tourism plays a vital economic role and where issues of renewable energy transition and water resource scarcity are increasingly pressing.

Past research highlighted tourism’s vulnerabilities to climate change and the importance of renewable energy adoption and documented the positive influence of public awareness of the adoption of environmental policies. Greece represents a particularly compelling case, given its annual influx of over 30 million visitors, growing reliance on renewable energy sources, and heightened exposure to climate-related risks such as heatwaves and droughts.

Based on an online questionnaire survey, three main findings emerged. First, awareness of climate change and renewable energy technologies among tourists is generally low to moderate: approximately 80% of respondents reported limited knowledge, and the majority did not consider tourism as a significant contributor to climate change, whereas only 15%, approximately, expressed support for stricter sustainability legislation. Second, higher levels of awareness were positively correlated with more favorable attitudes towards enacting green policies, consistent with previous findings, though causality cannot be assumed. Third, water scarcity—despite being a growing threat in Greece—was not strongly perceived by respondents as a key climate change impact.

Considering these findings, the design and implementation of targeted awareness campaigns focusing on climate change impacts, renewable energy, and especially water resource management are imperative. Such efforts could strengthen public support for sustainability measures and encourage the development of a “responsible tourist” culture. According to Mathew & Kuriakose [102], responsible tourism is a fundamental tool to achieve destination sustainability as it promotes environmental protection, fair economic distribution, and cultural preservation. A responsible tourist is an individual who consciously minimizes the negative economic, social, and environmental impacts of travel [103] by supporting local businesses, conserving natural resources [104,105], and maximizing benefits for the environment.

Future research should extend this work by examining the awareness and behaviors of key stakeholders, including tourism managers and policymakers [103,106,107,108,109], to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the sector’s capacity to adapt to climate change challenges.