Ελληνικά
Greece is committed to Developing a sustainable tourism model The Minister of Tourism said that this will effectively reduce the ecological footprint of the industry and will put biodiversity at the center of Vassilis Kikilias’s design In a recent interview with cnn.gr.
The Greek minister said that the industry will play a leading role in the country’s transition to sustainable practices and stressed the importance of including green issues in the planning of maritime and coastal tourism with particular emphasis on vulnerable communities and smaller remote islands.
In this regard, he cites the GR-eco Islands initiative that comes from the small island of Halki in the Dodecanese and which follows a similar initiative in Astypalea.
He said that this model will be extended to other destinations. The idea is also to identify and promote lesser-known destinations through a network that will inform visitors about properties and special offers, Kikilias said.
The minister said that another important priority is to target unknown areas of mainland Greece and less to target islands with the ultimate goal of preserving and demonstrating authenticity and diversifying the experiences on offer.
“Apart from the alternative forms of tourism – which, contrary to what many believe, bring high added value to the whole spectrum of the Greek economy – they are our main tools,” he said.
Kikilias stressed that in the last two years and during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the contribution of the tourism industry had a multiplier value, strengthening many important market segments.
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In addition, he said, the ministry’s priorities include attracting investment and developing infrastructure, and maintaining a quality and original tourism product.
Finally, the ministry is continuing its efforts to extend the tourist season by offering winter destinations and holidays in the city and through new agreements with travel agents such as Der Touristic Group, Norwegian Cruise Line and Jet2.
