Observatory
Observatory of Green Businesses
Ecovillage Tris Ellies
Ecovillage Tris Ellies is a special case. Though a business, in the sense that it derives revenue, it much escapes the norm of a traditional business. Yet this is an essential characteristic of the Green economy, escaping the norm that is. This is because it is more akin to a partnership where business and solo traders are its main members. To this extend it has 22 members.
Ecovillage Tris Ellies is a special case. Though a business, in the sense that it derives revenue, it much escapes the norm of a traditional business. Yet this is an essential characteristic of the Green economy, escaping the norm that is. This is because it is more akin to a partnership where business and solo traders are its main members. To this extend it has 22 members. |
The partnership sees to the restoration and repopulation of a graphic village in Cyprus, just outside of Limassol, Cyprus’s second largest city and a hub of economic activity. The idea of the ecovillage green business partnership-itself a business as mentioned earlier, is to create new community life based on the existing natural and architectural infrastructure of the village.
This effort naturally attracted a number of eco-tourist. Anywhere between 2000-4000 tourists per year visit this small village, benefiting its green businesses and the partnership as a whole. The partnership itself receives a small fee per visiting tourist, as well as a prepaid Cyprus breakfast-as revenue by a local excursion company per tourist. Most of the members of the partnership have moved their businesses to the village and all thereby benefit by the partnership’s endeavors.
Size of business
22 Members
Supports
None
Opportunities and plans for the future
As the partnership run its operations since 2014, older, mostly aged locals, saw their village revived and for the first time younger people moving in, creating an infrastructure which will make eventually life in the village-that saw more and more community facilities disappearing, easier. For the new and young settlers this is the first community to target an eco-lifestyle business sustainable environment that does not requiring massive investments from the beginning to join.
Green is here to stay and as it expands the idea will pull the Tris Ellies market along. In this way, the green partnership and its comprising green businesses can give further live back to what used to be an almost abandoned settlement while at the same time creating an environment for people seeking a healthy and sustainable life style, close to an almost un-spoilt nature.
Tris Ellies intends to continue building on that. Even though it is not strictly planning a single touristic project, inland and external tourism will be targeted and encouraged via a number of parallel green initiatives. Another will be EU fund applications for various projects aimed at increased habitation in the village.
The focus of the sought out development, will be on sustainable and healthy living with farms providing healthy local produce, sports and recreation. These will blend with environment based activities like hiking, biking, Yoga, Meditation, art, music, theatre and others. The whole mixture will be supported under a number of regular festivals around various subjects. The Sulphur Spring will be exploited and remodeled to add a finishing touch.
Ultimately the goal is to create an interconnected flow of people and initiatives following the same vision. This is in tune with the objective of the green partnership Ecovillage Tris Ellies, to act as an umbrella for likeminded green businesses, partnerships and initiatives.
Pitfalls and challenges
Before setting up camp there, it was important to gain the trust and support of the existing locals. It wasn’t easy.
Furthermore, a recurring theme within the local context, the administrative infrastructure in Cyprus does not really help such projects. “You are basically left alone to develop ways to acquire all the know-how needed to set up such an organization on your own”.
As for the partnership, in order to become economically sustainable it sought to engage with private companies and individuals that could develop sustainable businesses in the area. This included farming, education, tourism, science, health, art and so on. All activities however had and have to be based on ecological principles, while ensuring total community and self -sufficiency with regard to Energy, Food, Water and housing. The coordination between all of these took a lot of effort.