Greece will focus on marine tourism to add value to Greek tourism and create opportunities for growth in new jobs for local communities, said the Secretary General for Tourism Policy and Development Olympia Anastasopoulou, during the 5th Mare Forum Mykonos last week.
Ms Anastasopoulou said marine tourism would be a powerful driver of the national economy with an estimated contribution of 1.4-1.5 percent to the country’s GDP. She went on to add that the sector’s indirect contribution is four to five times greater.
Crucial to further growth is the improvement of port and marina infrastructure, which Ms Anastasopoulou said is at the centre of a new ministry’s marketing strategy which also aims to accelerate upgrade procedures. In this direction, the ministry’s Tourist Port Committee will be convening to speed up decisions concerning nine ports in Greece.
Ms Anastasopoulou said the ministry was focusing actions on ensuring sustainable tourism development on the islands. She added that the priority was to take into account the carrying capacity of each island, the available energy and water resources, waste and water management capabilities as well as special ecosystems, species and landscapes that must be preserved in order to ensure a balance between tourism and local standard of living.
“The carrying capacity of the islands is inextricably linked to sustainable tourism development and the reduction of the natural, economic and socio-cultural impacts caused by phenomena of over tourism which create significant adverse effects on the level of visitor satisfaction,” she said.
Ms Anastasopoulou referred to the importance of a bill tabled in parliament last year by the ministry which outlines the terms for the operation of destination management and promotion organizations (DMOs) which will be funded by RRF funds and can focus on tourism development, viability and sustainability, the protection of the natural environment at each destination, the promotion and management of local quality marks, the possibility of establishing observatories of sustainable tourism development, “with the ultimate aim to preserve the natural and cultural wealth of the country”.
