Supporting small and medium-sized enterprises operating in tourist destinations, such as Plaka and Monastiraki and especially their digital transformation, in order to enhance their competitiveness was the subject of a meeting last week between Tourism Minister Haris Theocharis and the president. and the vice-president of the Athens Chamber of Commerce Giannis Chatzitheodosiou and Nikos Kogioumtsi.

In particular, according to a post by the chamber on its website, “for the Plaka-Monastiraki area, it was discussed to allow commercial stores – in collaboration with the Ministry of Development and Investment – to be registered as tourist, as they sell mainly tourist items. Also to enter into a subsidized program for their digitization and in general to make an effort to utilize community funds in this direction, as the modern needs of business require the transition of businesses to the new digital age “.

According to the chamber, “if this is achieved, then they can use digital tools to attract even more visitors, while giving them the opportunity for virtual tour within the stores, which is expected to boost the operation of businesses.”

Mr. Chatzitheodosiou and Mr. Kogioumtsis informed the Minister about the actions and initiatives of the chamber regarding Agora Athens. It is reminded that the aim of the chamber is for the visitors of the Acropolis Museum – which in pre Covid times was estimated at about 1.8 million tourists – to seek to know the market of old Athens. It is estimated that only 100,000 chose after their visit to the Museum to discover the shops in Plaka and Monastiraki. So, if this number increases, it will benefit not only businesses but also tourism and the Greek economy as a whole.

Source: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ