As Greece continues to invest in sports tourism as a strategic growth pillar, destination-led events are increasingly viewed not simply as competitions, but as platforms for regional positioning, community engagement, and experiential travel development. The decision to bring the 2026 L’Etape Greece by Tour de France presented by SKODA to Sparta on April 4 marks another step in this evolving approach – where sport becomes a catalyst for destination storytelling.
euΖΗΝ feelosophy CEO Vasia Birliraki
For euΖΗΝ feelosophy, the Greek experience design agency behind the event, the move aligns with its broader repositioning in the international sports tourism landscape. More than organizing races, the company designs immersive experiences that connect visitors emotionally with place. As CEO Vasia Birliraki explains, “Sport may be the trigger, but the destination is what remains in memory.”
In Sparta, that philosophy finds natural expression. “The athletic identity of the race aligns naturally with the area’s history, landscape, and symbolism, creating an experience that goes well beyond the finish line,” she notes. For Birliraki, success is measured not only in participation numbers but in long-term impact. “An event has real value only when it leaves a positive footprint on the place that hosts it,” she says, adding that when destinations are experienced through effort and emotion, “it’s no longer just a beautiful landscape; it becomes a deeply personal experience.”
Birliraki leads euΖΗΝ feelosophy, formerly known as EY ZHN Greece, which recently rebranded to reflect its expanding international orientation. The agency specializes in corporate experiences, bespoke travel design, and the organization of major sports events, combining strategic planning with experiential storytelling. Under her leadership, sport and tourism are positioned as tools of emotional connection — not only for visitors, but also for the communities that host these events.
In the following interview, she discusses how the 2026 L’Etape Greece cycling event and IRONMAN® 70.3® Greece — the globally branded triathlon event hosted in Messinia — are positioning the country as a competitive player in the international sports tourism arena.
GTP: Vasia, L’Etape Greece by Tour de France presented by SKODA in 2026 is not just a race, but also a reason to travel — and this year, for the first time, it will take place in Sparta. How do you see the relationship between sport and destination through this event?
Vasia Birliraki: The L’Etape series was created by ASO, the organizer of the Tour de France, to give amateur cyclists the opportunity not only to experience the spirit and energy of this iconic race, but also to discover new routes and explore new destinations.
Bringing the event to Sparta offers a compelling reason to travel — to experience a place with its own rhythm and connect it with powerful emotions. Sport may be the trigger, but the destination is what remains in memory. In Sparta, in particular, the athletic identity of the race aligns naturally with the area’s history, landscape, and symbolism, creating an experience that goes well beyond the finish line.
GTP: For the 2026 edition of L’Etape Greece by Tour de France presented by SKODA, Sparta represents a new destination and new terrain. What makes this location the ideal setting for such an experience?
Vasia Birliraki: Sparta has authenticity. Its natural terrain, the constant shifts in landscape, routes that seem to trace history itself, and the simplicity that defines the region create the perfect backdrop for a race grounded in substance rather than spectacle. It’s a destination that doesn’t try to impress — it does so effortlessly.
GTP: Do you believe sports tourism can elevate Greek destinations? How do L’Etape Greece by Tour de France and IRONMAN® 70.3® Greece contribute in that direction?
Vasia Birliraki: Absolutely. Sports tourism has the power to highlight destinations beyond the obvious, because it attracts visitors who want to truly experience a place, not simply see it.
Both L’Etape Greece by Tour de France and IRONMAN® 70.3® Greece are designed with the destination at the center. From route planning and parallel activities to engagement with the local community and experiences for accompanying guests, the goal is for the host location to play a leading role in the overall experience.
GTP: What would you say to a Greek Travel Pages (GTP) reader considering organizing a trip around a sporting event such as the 2026 L’Etape Greece by Tour de France presented by SKODA or IRONMAN® 70.3® Greece in Messinia this October, even if they are not passionate athletes?
Vasia Birliraki: I would encourage them to contact us via e-mail at hospitality@feelosophy.gr so we can design a tailored experience package for them. But more broadly, I would suggest they view it as a different kind of journey.
You don’t need to be an athlete to enjoy the energy, emotion, and vibrancy of such an event. It’s an opportunity to visit a destination outside high season, experience it through authentic moments, and become part of a major celebration — whether as a participant or simply as someone cheering from the sidelines.
Vasia Birliraki
GTP: How do you aim to open the 2026 L’Etape Greece by Tour de France presented by SKODA not only to athletes, but also to families, friends, and accompanying guests?
Vasia Birliraki: From the outset, the 2026 L’Etape Greece by Tour de France presented by SKODA has been designed as an experience for everyone. We don’t want accompanying guests to feel like spectators; we want them to feel actively involved.
That’s why we create parallel activities, destination-based experiences, and accessible routes such as the Fun Ride, which is open to participants from ages 9 to 99. We also design shared moments that groups can enjoy together.
The heart of the event will beat in the center of Sparta. The central square will serve as the meeting point for the entire community — hosting registrations, the expo, the awards ceremony, and a celebratory party organized by the Municipality.
The start and finish line will take place Saturday morning at the iconic statue of Leonidas, reinforcing the powerful symbolism of the location.
GTP: The Fun Ride represents a different side of the 2026 L’Etape Greece by Tour de France presented by SKODA. What role does it play in the overall experience?
Vasia Birliraki: The Fun Ride is the most open, relaxed, and social side of L’Etape Greece. It allows more people to experience the spirit of the Tour de France without the pressure or competitive intensity. It’s proof that cycling — and travel — are, above all, about joy.
GTP: How important is it that the 2026 L’Etape Greece by Tour de France presented by SKODA functions as a celebration for the local community and not just a sporting event?
Vasia Birliraki: It’s essential. An event has real value only when it leaves a positive footprint on the place that hosts it. When residents participate, feel proud, and see the event as their own, that’s when we can speak of success — not only athletic success, but social success as well.
GTP: In your experience, how does a visitor’s perception of a destination change when they experience it through a race or sporting event?
Vasia Birliraki: It changes dramatically. The destination becomes associated with effort, intensity, emotion, and personal achievement. It’s no longer just a beautiful landscape; it becomes a deeply personal experience. And those are the kinds of experiences that create the most loyal travelers.
GTP: For someone experiencing L’Étape by Tour de France for the first time as a traveler rather than as an athlete, what moment stands out the most?
Vasia Birliraki: It’s difficult to choose between the start and the finish. There is something deeply moving about the opening speech encouraging the cyclists, but the finish line is equally powerful.
That’s where you see people of different ages and nationalities smiling, embracing, and feeling part of something larger than themselves. It’s a moment that stays with you.
GTP: How do you see the philosophy of L’Étape by Tour de France connecting with the concept of slow travel and experiential exploration?
Vasia Birliraki: L’Etape invites you to “read” a destination through its routes — to see the landscape differently, to feel the distances, the climbs, the scents, and the sounds.
Each athlete brings a personal story — the training, the effort, the journey that led them to the starting line and ultimately to the finish line on this historic Greek terrain. That is slow travel in its most authentic form: less rush, more experience.
The 2026 L’Etape Greece by Tour de France presented by SKODA will take place on April 4 in Sparta, marking the event’s first edition hosted in the historic Peloponnese city. Under the banner of the legendary Tour de France, the race is co-organized by euΖΗΝ feelosophy, the Region of Peloponnese, and the Municipality of Sparta, bringing international cycling prestige to southern Greece.
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