Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni referred to the financing of specific projects from the Recovery and Resilience Facility, and in particular to the Mediterranean Coastal and Maritime Tourism Observatory, to the upgrading of tourist ports in terms of energy saving and accessibility, to diving tourism and to the accessibility of beaches for all, in the context of the 9th International Conference “Our Ocean Conference” (OCC-9).
The Minister of Tourism added that the concern of the Greek government and the Ministry of Tourism is the development of special forms of tourism and the undertaking of initiatives aimed at offering high quality experiences to the visitor, while ensuring the protection of the natural environment and cultural heritage.
“We must expand cruise opportunities in a sustainable way”
Regarding the contribution of cruise tourism in relation to the priorities of the 9th Our Ocean Conference, the minister emphasized that Greece is a country with an extensive coastline and a large number of islands, quite different from one another, with a constantly increasing flow of cruise tourists.
She pointed out: “We must expand these cruise opportunities in a sustainable way, providing a quality experience to various types of destinations, while ensuring their identity and function, as well as ensuring the protection of the natural environment and cultural heritage.”
“A new beginning for Greek tourism”
Kefalogianni also referred to the Gr-Eco Islands, on the occasion of her visit to Tilos with the prime minister, and noted that the local community has benefited greatly, as the island recycles 90% of the waste, while she also mentioned the island of Halki where electricity is produced by a photovoltaic park that fully covers the needs of residents and visitors.
Afterwards, the Minister of Tourism attended a lunch in the presence of Prince Albert of Monaco. During her speech, she analyzed our country’s strategy for the operation of the Observatory for Coastal and Marine Tourism in the Mediterranean and pointed out the positive impact that data collection and analysis will have on the implementation of sustainable tourism policies in the coming years.
“Through a network of actions and policies, we are creating the conditions for a new beginning for Greek tourism. Our goal is the sustainability of the destinations and the tourism product by focusing on long-term development, quality elements and establishing environmental protection rules.”