We are proceeding at an intensive pace to exploit a unique opportunity for the Greek economy and tourism in our country, presented by the National Plan for Recovery and Resilience, said the Minister of Tourism, Mrs Olga Kefalogianni, presenting the review of the actions taken so far, as well as new projects that are being promoted with the ultimate goal, as she said, of creating a diversified, competitive, modern and sustainable tourism product.
A key priority of the Ministry, said Ms.Kefalogianni, is of course the fastest possible absorption of the funds within the tight timeframe, but also to ensure the optimal efficiency of this opportunity. He added:
”We are at a crucial moment, where we can and must do our best to exhaust every opportunity to give all the tools for Greek tourism to play a leading role in the new era.”
Referring to the progress of projects under the “Tourism Development” Action, she underlined that significant progress has been made in recent months, as for the four calls for proposals of €211 million, a total of 98 investment projects worth €338 million have already been submitted to date.
In particular:
Upgrading of Ski Centres: 16 investment projects have been submitted for a total amount of around €147 million. € and come from almost all of the country’s ski resorts and exceed the planned and available budget by about 100 million euros. €. The evaluation process of the investment projects proceeds in the order of their submission (the first come first served method) and two requests for aid have already been approved (“Anilio-Metsovo” and “3-5 Pigadia” in Naoussa).
Upgrading of tourist ports: 41 investment projects were submitted by operators managing tourist ports (marinas, marinas, shelters and anchorages) for a total amount of around €184 million, exceeding the available budget. The evaluation of the projects is ongoing and in the coming days the applications of the Municipality of Lavreotiki, Agios Kosmas and Rhodes, which have already received a positive evaluation from the advisory committee, will be approved.
Enhancing accessibility to beaches: 37 investment projects have already been submitted, for a total of around €6 million. € . The call closes on 31 May and the total available budget for the project is €17 million. approximately EUR.
Upgrading of mountain refuges: Four investment projects have been submitted, with a total budget of around 670 thousand euros. euro. For this project the deadline has been extended until 30 April due to the increased interest that was shown shortly before the deadline (31 March).
Agritourism and gastronomy: A market and strategy study and an action plan for its implementation with the aim of identifying products, services, existing agri-tourism units and related businesses and the creation of a relevant network involving producers and tourism businesses. The start of the project is planned within the next ten days.
The tender procedure for the tender for the Destination Management is in the process of being completed, while the tenders submitted for the creation of the platform of the National Observatory for Sustainable Tourism Development have already been opened. By the end of the month, the publication of the calls for investment, concerning the upgrading and creation of new spa tourism facilities, as well as diving tourism, is expected.
Regarding the “Tourism Education”, Mrs Kefalogianni stressed that the aim is to upgrade skills and re-skilling of those employed in the tourism sector. Two calls for the establishment of a Register of training providers have already been published and 233 applications have been submitted by public and private Lifelong Learning Centres. The training allowance will be up to €1,250 per trainee and will be paid after participation in certification exams.
In April, the Minister added, the publication of the Declaration for the Digital Transformation of the Greek Tourism Organisation is planned, with the aim of developing an innovative system that will provide travel information in a quick and simple way. It includes a range of useful features such as automated tourist services, efficient search for attractions, and information on fares and tickets. In addition, the system will provide access to maps, the ability to submit questions or complaints, the ability to search on issues related to culture.
Finally, Mrs Kefalogianni made a special reference to the Convention on the “Observatory for Coastal and Marine Tourism in the Mediterranean”, which aims to measure and monitor the environmental, social and economic impact of this activity.
Concluding her presentation, the Minister stressed that with coordinated actions, we are trying to achieve maximum absorption of the available resources to enhance the qualitative characteristics of Greek tourism.
