Tourism Minister, Olga Kefalogianni, gave a speech at the “Tourism and Sustainability” day, organized at the Acropolis Museum by the Society for the Environment and Cultural Heritage. The minister referred to the vision, but also the strategy, to make Greece a model of sustainable tourism development.
We have the political will but also the tools, the minister emphasized, to take advantage of the opportunities that can lead to a stable and sustainable future for Greek tourism.
Through a network of actions and policies, Kefalogianni underlined, we are creating the conditions for a new beginning for Greek tourism, aiming at the sustainability of the destinations and the tourist product. The new tourism product will be developed with moderation and balance in mind, so that economic development ensures opportunities for everyone, the natural environment and cultural capital are protected and new destinations are highlighted.
Kefalogianni stressed the need to move beyond the outdated model that prioritizes quantity over quality and to focus on the long-term development and resilience of destinations, establishing environmental protection rules.
Referring to the ministry’s initiatives and planning for the sustainable development of tourism, she pointed out:
-Greece’s initiative for the establishment of the Observatory for Coastal and Marine Tourism in the Mediterranean, with the aim of measuring and monitoring the environmental, social and economic impacts of coastal and marine tourism.
-The establishment of the Regional Tourism Council with the responsibility of formulating recommendations for the planning of a balanced tourism development both at the national level and in the individual regions.
-The Model Tourist Destinations of Integrated Management which will concern destinations with special characteristics and potential.
He also added that through actions financed by the Recovery and Resilience Facility, plans are promoted for the development of special forms of tourism and the upgrading of accessibility infrastructure, with the aim of protecting the environment.
