The Regional Tourism Council met today under the Minister of Tourism Olga Kefalogianni with key issues being the establishment and operation of Destination Management and Promotion Organizations (DMMOS) and the National Observatory for Sustainable Tourism Development.
In her introduction, Olga Kefalogianni pointed out that “in the context of implementing our strategy for sustainable tourism development and ensuring the viability of Greek destinations, our strategic choice is the participation of local communities in the management of tourism activity in our country”.
Interventions and financial instruments
The minister presented the legislative initiatives, financial tools and interventions aimed at the protection, resilience and highlighting the potential of tourist destinations.
In particular for the National Observatory for Sustainable Tourism Development, Mrs. Kefalogianni emphasized that its role and function were strengthened, with the establishment of mandatory provision and exchange of data between public sector bodies, so that there is a more comprehensive and comprehensive picture of statistical data and trends concerning tourism. He announced the creation of a platform of the National and the corresponding Regional-Local Observatories of Sustainable Tourism Development with the aim of effectively monitoring the performance of the tourism sector, in order to provide in real time the required data for the development and monitoring of the implementation of the tourism strategy.
Regarding the Destination Management and Promotion Organizations, the Minister of Tourism pointed out that they are a new model of destination management, a strategic development tool for the future of Greek tourism. He even called for everyone to make use of the funding from the Recovery and Resilience Fund for the establishment and operation of Destination Management and Promotion Organizations in Regions of the country.
The O. Kefalogianni made a special reference to the Special Spatial Framework for Tourism (STP), which is in public consultation until September 15 and which defines the basic principles, rules and priorities for how and where tourism should be developed in our country. He stated that the PES also provides guidance on regional spatial planning frameworks to ensure their alignment with tourism development priorities.
“It is therefore crucial to examine how the new Spatial Plan can be utilized in the development of each region with correct priorities and directions, which will also be useful in the underlying urban planning that is now underway in many of the regions of the country.”
The Minister of Tourism underlined that it is crucial, in the light of modern needs and data in tourism, to provide solutions that promote sustainable development, that give perspective to local societies, destinations, entrepreneurship, the human capital of tourism and concluded:
“With the new institutional tools and the tools for recording data and disseminating know-how, we are aiming for a tourism product that is sustainable and competitive at the international level as a whole. In the further promotion of Greece as a destination of global appeal distinguished for its quality, durability, and unique travel experiences”.
The meeting took place in the presence of the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Elena Raptis, of the general secretary of Tourism Policy and Development Vasias Koutsoukos and the vice president of EOT Konstantinos Zikos. The president of the Union of Regions of Greece (EN.PE) and regional governor of Central Macedonia Apostolos Tzitzikostas, the chairman of the Tourism Committee of EN.PE and the regional governor of the Ionian Islands Ioannis Trepeklis, the regional governor of N. Aegean Giorgos Hatzimarkos, the regional governor of Peloponnese Dimitrios Ptochos, the regional governor of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace Christodoulos Topsidis.
They also participated The Deputy Regional Governor of Attica Christina Kefalogiannis, from the Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace the Vice -Mayor of Tourism Panagiotis Archontis, from the Region Tourism Euridiki (Vicky ) Hatzivasileiou and the Deputy Regional Governor for Tourism Athanasios Michelongonas and from the Region of Central Greece the Deputy Regional Governor for Tourism and Culture Fani Papathoma, from the Region of Western Greece the Deputy Regional Governor for Tourism Development Panagiotis Sakellaropoulos, from the Region of Western Macedonia the Deputy Regional Governor for Tourism, Culture and Environment Polytimi Farmaki , from the Region of Epirus the deputy governor of the Preveza Regional Unit, Efstratios Ioannou, from the Region of Crete the deputy governor of Tourism Kyriakos Kotsoglou, and the deputy governor of Culture Christos Michalakis.
Source: RES
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