She was struck by the beauty of Greece’s famous islands and ruins without the usual hustle and bustle of visitors. She realized in that moment that she wanted to help protect those landscapes for both locals and visitors so that they too could experience her country’s treasures in the quiet natural way that she was able to.
“I was talking with my aunt and she was asking me questions like ‘what could you do to preserve this part of the island or this part of the island?’” said the 23-year-old tourism, entertainment and communications graduate student at California State University, Fullerton.
“It was getting me thinking of ways to promote but also preserve the culture of the island. Coming back to the States, I thought this is what I want to do full-time. I took it as my personal purpose…and that’s what interested me to get into this field and help give back long-term to my country as well.”
Panagiotopoulou-Andriatsopoulou said her arrival at Cal State Fullerton on a basketball scholarship fulfilled her own lifelong dream of living and working in Southern California, a dream fueled by years of seeing glowing media images of the Golden State.
She said her graduate program has since connected her with mentors and other professionals in the hospitality industry who she believes can help launch her hospitality career in both California and Greece. She has already started her own travel website introducing visitors to the Greek islands. She’s also completing her thesis on sustainable island tourism development both in Greece and the South Pacific.
“Cal State Fullerton has definitely helped me network with so many amazing professionals in my field,” she said. “It’s been insane since I moved here last year and got into this program, the people I have met and all the knowledge they have given me. I see the world and businesses so differently. This was the biggest gift and take-away from this school.”
Going forward, Panagiotopoulou-Andriatsopoulou said she wants to build a career that incorporates the insights that she and others gleaned during the pandemic – lessons about incorporating sustainability best practices into the way destinations are presented and preserved and being more conscientious about how visitors are introduced into communities and landscapes. She said spending a few years in California building such sustainable destinations will teach her how to eventually protect her homeland.
“I feel the pandemic was a big blessing for the industry because it really encouraged people to do things a lot differently,” she said. “It changed not just as a business but as a change in life. That’s when sustainability really started to get into the conversation.
“I had no doubt that the industry would come back because of this minor setback because when you have some time to fully stop everything, you have time to reflect on what was done well and what was done not so good. I’m optimistic about the future and where this industry is going.”
