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V. Kikilias: Very important resources are expected for the sustainability of tourism

“Tourism is one of the determining factors for the economic development of a country. In Greece it is one of the main pillars of the national economy, as it can directly contribute to the increase of national income and employment, as well as to the improvement of the balance of payments” . This is pointed out by the Minister of Tourism Vassilis Kikilias in an article in the insert “The Bible of the Economy” of the newspaper Parapolitika and underlines that “in times of crisis, such as the one we are going through the last two years due to the unprecedented pandemic, tourism contributes value, because it supports a significant part of the market “.

“Especially this year, thanks to the unique product we have as a country and the effort made throughout the past to become a safe destination and inspire confidence in our visitors, the tourism sector has been a catalyst for improving our budget,” he said. the Minister.

Focusing on the financial results, he stressed that “at the end of 2021 we are able to say that this year was a positive surprise for us. Travel traffic by September increased by more than 90% compared to 2020, travel receipts 140%, while the travel balance showed a surplus of 8.033 billion euros, 5 billion more than the corresponding surplus of 2020. The average per capita expenditure of each visitor, of foreign visitors this year increased by more than 20% with each spending more than 600 euro”.

“Quantitative indicators, with two tangible and clear quality characteristics: Creation of new jobs for Greek citizens and increase of income for all professions that are” fed “directly or directly from the tourism product”, he states in his article and underlines the following : “From hoteliers and their employees to the catering entrepreneurs and the commercial world of the country. the necessary condition both for the understanding of the tourist market and for the improvement of the provided tourist product “.

Regarding the actions of the ministry, Mr. Kikilias emphasizes the following: “In the Ministry of Tourism, from the first day we work together with the competent ministries, on three axes, which will give more impetus to the locomotive of the Greek economy.

First, attracting new investment.

The very important resources that are expected to flow into the country in order to strengthen investments in key sectors of the Greek economy, will give the impetus needed by tourism to become resilient and, above all, to adapt to the new data of digital transformation.

Secondly, the strengthening of infrastructure.

In tourism projects, private resources are expected to be leveraged for investments in important tourism infrastructure, where there is a need. To this end, new legislation has been introduced to amend and replace the current institutional framework, in order to simplify and simplify the process of spatial planning, licensing and other operational issues.

Third, maintaining quality and authenticity

Preserving the quality of the tourism product offered is linked to the carrying capacity and the declared goals of sustainable development and is a top priority. At the same time, we undertake initiatives to preserve the authenticity of the visitor experience, through the preservation and strengthening of our tourist identity. In this context is included the strengthening and training of human resources, which is the soul of tourism, with new skills that meet the modern requirements of the time.

Responding to the way in which the goals of the ministry will be achieved, he notes the following:

“In order to achieve the maximum possible result, we utilize the resources of the Recovery and Resilience Fund, more than 320,000,000 euros, without the private resources that concern a large project fan, from the destination management (Destination Management) and the mountain tourism (Mountain). Tourism) to health and wellness tourism, agritourism and gastronomy.Of the first place on our agenda is, of course, the upgrading of tourist ports, as well as projects related to the accessibility of tourist destinations by the disabled.

In this context, all the necessary reforms are promoted that will facilitate not only the smooth implementation of the projects included in the National Recovery and Sustainability Plan, but also those required for the protection and incentivization of private investors. These actions continue to focus on protecting the character of our tourism product based on the principles of sustainable development. As stated by the Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Marseilles, we are committed to developing a sustainable tourism strategy that will effectively address the environmental footprint of tourism and put biodiversity issues at the heart of maritime and coastal planning. in terms of extremely vulnerable local communities, such as our smaller islands. And that will enable us to take a step forward. To marry the uniqueness of the Greek tourist product with the necessary sustainability and economic and social prosperity. And that is what we will do “, he concludes in his article.

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Source From: Capital

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