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Greek Minister calls for new Tourism model, plays up Ecotourism

 Thu May 22, 2008, 14:00 UTC

By Antonis B. Petropoulos

Athens, Greece (ECOCLUB.com) - Opening the 16th annual convention of the Greek Association of Tourism Enterprises (SETE) in Athens, Tourism Minister Aris Spiliotopoulos spoke about the need for a new, more ecological tourism model, and low-impact forms of tourism that would highlight the special attributes of the Greek environment and culture and guarantee economic and environmental sustainability. The minister emphasized that in democratic countries governmental tourism decisions on issues such as infrastructure are slow, as local opposition and objections from agencies such as the archaeological service and the constitutional court have to be respected. Minister Spiliotopoulos spoke about ecocampings, eco-marinas and low-key ‘wellness’ tourism, but also about the need for more golf, in destinations such as Halkidiki, luxury tourism, boutique hotels, and nautical tourism (yachting).

The Minister avoided all references to heavily criticised government plans for massive tourism villa developments and mega-resorts, and instead indirectly criticised SETE and the media, for their objections to the new National Land use plan, the first one of its kind, currently discussed in parliament, arguing that even a weak plan is better than no plan at all. He made an effort to stress the important of proper waste management, saying that he had just visited a Blue-Flag Beach in touristy Argolis, with an illegal rubbish dump right next to it. Spiliotopoulos also complained about the practice of taverna owners and some hoteliers who cover tables with plastic sheets. It was refreshing to hear from ministerial lips that numbers of visitors ‘do not matter’, whether 16 or 17 million’ and that what mattered is what they leave behind in terms of revenue. One could see smirks in the audience when Minister Spiliotopoulos criticised an unnamed Minister (probably the Economics one) for delaying for 6 months the signing of an important legislation revision, which would allow the Greek National Tourism Organisation to increase the number of Inspectors in the heavily-visited Cyclades Islands, from the current “one”. ‘Commoners and ministers, we all have our problems’, commented afterwards a SETE representative to the amusement of the audience.

Spiliotopoulos also promised that the state would come down heavily on accommodation and other tourism providers that insisted on operating without permits, as safety and quality were paramount. Finally, a crisis management centre is mulled, to tackle the PR handling of major disasters like the mega-fires of the summer of 2007.


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