Tinos will host, from 8 to 10 May 2026, an international symposium that aspires to highlight a new, workable model of sustainable development for the Mediterranean islands, linking tradition with innovation and education with production. Entitled “From stone to table: with tradition, for the future” and within the framework of the programme “Tinos 2030: Sustainable Development through Education”, the initiative brings to the fore an integrated vision that starts from the landscape and the knowledge of the place and goes all the way to modern gastronomy and the visitor’s experience.
The symposium is the next crucial step in shaping Tinos as a pilot island ecosystem, where dry stone, traditional building, agricultural production and processing are organically linked to gastronomy and quality tourism. The focus of the event is the presentation of an integrated plan for the creation of three educational structures – gastronomy, traditional building and agricultural production – that will act as a lever for development, ensuring the transfer of local know-how and creating new professional perspectives.
During the three-day event, Tinos will be a meeting point for scientists, artisans, representatives of institutions and leading gastronomy professionals from Greece and abroad. Renowned chefs such as Manolis Papoutsakis, Athenagoras Kostakos (with participation via video and zoom), Michalis Dounetas, Konstantinos Tzikas from Cologne, Yannis Gavalas from Herakleia, Antonis Psalti from “Mikro Karavi” in Tinos and Marinos Souranis from “Marathia” in Tinos will participate in the activities.
The programme combines scientific dialogue and experiential experience, with talks, workshops, thematic hikes in the landscape of Tinos, field activities and gastronomic meetings that bring together producers, artisans and visitors. Particular emphasis is placed on the connection between knowledge and practice, as reflected in actions such as the building of a dry stone wall with the participation of chefs and artisans, as well as in meals dedicated to the local community. The symposium will conclude with round tables and the presentation of the first results of the working groups, setting the roadmap for the next steps.
The key idea running through the event is that tradition is not just an element of identity, but an active tool for planning the future. Dry stone is highlighted as a know-how of environmental resilience, gastronomy as a culture and productive activity, and the primary sector as a foundation for authentic and sustainable development. In this context, Tinos seeks to shape an international model based on knowledge, cooperation and respect for the land.
The international symposium is being held under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism and the General Secretariat for Aegean and Island Policy. The initiative and the organization is being carried out by the Municipality of Tinos, the South Aegean Region, the Chamber of Cyclades, Anthos Tinos and the Ambasada Association.
As stated by publisher Pericles Duvitsas and chef Marinos Souranis, founders of Anthos Tinos, “the partnership of institutional and local stakeholders is a crucial milestone for the activation of partnerships and the implementation of the vision “Tinos 2030″, while contributing to the practical implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals in an island environment with a strong cultural and environmental identity. Our goal is for this symposium to be the basis for important next steps in Tinos”. For his part, the Mayor of Tinos Panagiotis Krontiras said that “the tradition of our island is linked to the determination of its people to create a sustainable tourism development model that combines the primary sector, respect and protection of the environment and education. After all, only partnerships and collective efforts can build the tomorrow we want for our island.”
