EPOT - Tourism Think Tank

What EPOT - Tourism Think Tank does

EPOT (Scientific Team for Tourism - Think Tank) is an independent, voluntary non-profit association headquartered in Rhodes, Greece, formally established on January 29, 2021, with informal origins dating back to a 2001-2003 initiative within the Dodecanese Chamber of Commerce and DETAP. The organization operates as a tourism-focused think tank composed of approximately 31 professional members spanning tourism, academia, finance, quality management, environment, IT, and human resources, supported by a small core team of 5 employees.

Its core product is scientific research and policy advisory work for the Greek tourism sector, built on a primary survey methodology conducted annually at Rhodes, Kos, and Karpathos airports and cruise harbors since 2003, with cumulative questionnaire volumes exceeding 9,000 responses. EPOT also organizes International Tourism Forums (held in 2005, 2006, and 2008), publishes research studies, and provides consultation to Destination Management Organizations, municipal authorities, and tourism enterprises. Strategic activities include the 2021 'Excellent Village Destination' award initiative that won first place among 54 countries at the World Rural Tourism and Sustainable Development Conference.

The business model is non-commercial: EPOT derives no revenue from product sales, generates no commercial ARR, and does not publish financial figures. It is funded solely through annual membership subscriptions (candidates must hold postgraduate tourism qualifications and be at least 25 years old, with applications reviewed biannually) supplemented by voluntary contributions. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, reaching stakeholders through conferences, academic partnerships (University of Surrey, Athens University of Economics and Business, University of the Aegean), direct engagement with chambers of commerce, municipalities, and industry associations such as SETE, plus a digital presence on its website (epot.gr), LinkedIn, and Facebook. Customer segments include tourism industry stakeholders, academic institutions, government and public authorities, and local communities in the Dodecanese region.

Name

EPOT - Tourism Think Tank

Legal name

Επιστημονική Ομάδα Τουρισμού - Think Tank (Scientific Team for Tourism - Think Tank)

Website

https://epot.gr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

EPOT is a Rhodes-based, non-profit tourism think tank of roughly 31 professional members that conducts primary tourist surveys, organizes international forums, and produces research to advance sustainable tourism and destination competitiveness across Greece's Dodecanese islands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tourism Research and Policy Advisory

NAICS

Convention and Visitors Bureaus (561591)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Faculty-Led & Research/Field Study Expeditions (THAKAGAK)

Keywords

• Tourism research
• Think tank services
• Destination management
• Sustainable tourism
• Tourism policy advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Rhodes

HQ country

Greece

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: EPOT is a non-profit organization that operates through annual membership subscriptions from its members. The organization does not generate commercial revenue but relies on member contributions and voluntary participation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

EPOT is a voluntary, non-profit think tank that conducts primary tourism research through surveys at airports and cruise harbors across the Dodecanese islands, organizes international tourism forums, and delivers scientifically substantiated positions and policy recommendations to tourism enterprises, government authorities, and academic partners. Its outputs include destination competitiveness studies, sustainable tourism assessments, DMO (Destination Management Organisation) consultation, and knowledge-exchange forums.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• EPOT Tourism Think Tank Membership

Quantifiable outcome

• First place 'Excellent Village Destination' award at World Rural Tourism and Sustainable Development Conference 2021, representing Greece among 54 countries

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Athens University of Economics and Business (O.P.A.)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 October 2022Joint competition for tourism destination marketing focused on Rhodes. 11 teams of undergraduate Marketing & Communication students participated. EPOT members formed the evaluation committee. Two winning teams received a 7-day hospitality package in Rhodes with experiential program.
• University of SurreycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 April 2021Research collaboration with University of Surrey's Tourism Department. EPOT supported group research projects by final year tourism students on destination competitiveness for Rhodes. EPOT's working group (Toanoglou M., Ketentzoglou K., Skiadopoulos G.) developed the research framework. The collaboration involved weekly online meetings over 11 weeks to guide student research.
• Dodecanese Chamber of CommercecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding partner and primary collaborator. Chamber provided initial premises and institutional support for the informal team of young tourism scientists in 2001-2003. Ongoing co-organization of international tourism forums and research initiatives.
• DETAP (Development Organization of the Dodecanese Chamber)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founded the informal Team of Young Tourism Scientists with the Chamber in 2003. Co-organizer of all three International Tourism Forums (2005, 2006, 2008) and ongoing research collaboration.
• SETE (Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWork meeting held in July 2008 to exchange positions and proposals on crucial tourism industry issues at local and national levels. Presentation of 'The Colossus: Emblem Approach' vision for Rhodes tourism at SETE regional event in July 2010.
• Municipality of RhodesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on tourism research presentations and municipal events. Presentation of primary survey results at South Rhodes Municipality and Kallithea Municipality events.
• UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerScientific sponsorship of the 2nd International Tourism Forum (2006) titled 'Competition through Sustainability' with scientific oversight under UNEP Division of Technology, Industry and Economics.
• Aster Students (Higher Education)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Aster students on tourism matters including workshop for upgrading hotel service quality and supporting international competitiveness under European Quality Week 2004.
• Future of Tourism AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEPOT joined the Future of Tourism initiative's list of supporters/signatories, an international alliance promoting sustainable tourism development globally.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO): The UN's specialized agency for tourism, producing global research, standards, and policy recommendations — including the 'Competition through Sustainability' theme that EPOT's 2006 forum adopted under UNEP scientific sponsorship.
• World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC): Global tourism industry council producing headline economic-impact research and policy advocacy for the sector. Comparable research output to EPOT at vastly larger geographic and resource scale.
• European Travel Commission (ETC): European tourism promotion body that commissions destination-level research across member countries. Overlaps with EPOT's role of producing tourism demand and satisfaction data at the European destination level.

Direct peers

• INSETE (Institute for Greek Tourism Research and Forecasts): INSETE is a Greek non-profit research institute producing tourism statistics, forecasts, and policy input for Greek tourism. Its research-only mandate and Greek focus make it the closest functional analogue to EPOT, though at national scale.
• SETE (Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises): SETE is the national industry body for Greek tourism, conducting research and policy advocacy at country level. It mirrors EPOT's role at a larger national scale and shares overlapping stakeholder relationships (e.g., SETE meetings cited in EPOT's history).
• SKAL International: Global professional association of tourism industry leaders, combining networking, advocacy, and industry research. SKAL's membership-and-research model parallels EPOT's voluntary-expert structure at global scale.
• Future of Tourism Coalition: An international coalition advancing sustainable tourism principles, of which EPOT is a listed signatory/supporter. The two share a comparable mission around evidence-based sustainable destination development.

Others

• Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA): Trade association producing research, events, and advocacy for the adventure and sustainable tourism segments. Conceptually adjacent to EPOT's sustainable-tourism research niche, though operating in a different sub-vertical.
• Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC): Standards-setting body for sustainable tourism that drives the criteria EPOT references in its sustainability-themed work. Operates upstream of EPOT's research-and-advocacy mission.

Regional players

• Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO / EOT): Greek national body promoting Greece as a destination through research, campaigns, and stakeholder coordination. Comparable destination-promotion role to EPOT at a much larger national-government scale.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/EPOT-Tourism-Think-Tank-106880911466151
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/epot-tourism-think-tank

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about EPOT - Tourism Think Tank