The bill for Model Tourist Destinations tabled in Parliament

With two innovations is introduced today by the Ministry of Tourism in the Standing Committee on Production and Trade of the Parliament and next week in the Plenary the bill “Model Tourist Destinations of Integrated Management and Promotion Organizations of Destination, Thermal Springs of Greece, and other regulations for growth.”

According to the authors of the bill, the innovations are based on the institutionalization of flexible tools and the composition of forces, through the Management and Promotion Organizations of the Destination and the organized development of wellness tourism (Spas), which will stimulate the tourism development, augment the quality of the tourism product and will finally resolve chronic issues.

Destination Management and Promotion Organizations

The first part of the bill concerns the Model Tourist Destinations of Integrated Management and the Destination Management and Promotion Organizations.

Important tourist destinations in our country face a multitude of complex development challenges.

The aim of the political leadership of the ministry is to strengthen the tourist image of the country through the promotion and characterization of areas as model tourist destinations of integrated management.

Through the Destination Management and Promotion Organizations, a framework of cooperation is created between the public and the private sector, the central administration and the local self-government, in order to ensure the strategic continuity in the promotion of the tourism products and in the quality assurance.

The Model Tourist Destinations of Integrated Management contribute decisively to the utilization of the comparative advantages of each region, to the achievement of high rates of tourist development and in general to the strengthening of the tourist image of Greece, based on:

– the brand awareness of the region at international level,

– the unique physical characteristics of the area, such as the natural and geomorphological environment, the cultural environment,

– the dynamics of the local community – economy of destination,

– the degree of adequacy and the level of accessibility for people with disabilities and reduced mobility in tourist infrastructure,

– integrity of the road network, proximity to ports and airports,

– the ratio of the total capacity of the destination in beds to the permanent population at the geographical boundaries of the destination,

The average annual occupancy of the tourist accommodation of the destination, and

– the range of the tourist season.

In order to fulfill its task, the Destination Management and Promotion Agency can collaborate, through the conclusion of quality agreements and memoranda of cooperation, with professional associations of persons, companies and private sector bodies, cooperative formations of companies (clusters), in order to ensure quality of the offered tourist product through the advertising, financing of studies, management and promotion of the destination domestically and internationally, with specialized tourist organizations, tour operators and airlines for the implementation of advertising programs.

The co-advertising procedures are funded up to 50% by the Destination Management and Promotion Organization or by the relevant Local Authority. and the remaining percentage by professional associations of persons or companies and private sector bodies.

They will also have the opportunity to plan and carry out volunteering and social responsibility actions related to the sustainable tourism development and the preservation of the residential and natural environment of the destination and to provide incentives for the promotion and management of local quality labels.

Utilization of Thermal Springs

The second part of the bill concerns the establishment of a public limited company “Thermal Springs of Greece” (IPE SA).

The thermal springs are currently governed by multiple fragmented ownership and licensing regimes. The established body will be responsible for their identification, utilization and management.

The main goal of the Ministry of Tourism, as it is pointed out, is the development of thermal-spa tourism or wellness tourism in the country, which will attract new visitors, will strengthen the sustainable management of thermal springs, will contribute to the creation of added value to GDP and the country’s extroversion.

The ultimate goal is to achieve holistic and sustainable tourism development, to activate private investment funds and to support the achievement of regional development goals.

Accessible Tourist Destination – Traffic signals are introduced

The bill also includes regulations to enhance tourism development and resolve various issues related to the operation of tourism businesses, tourism professions, tourism facilities, tourism promotion of the country, organizational and operational issues of the Ministry of Tourism and EOT, but also issues traffic and accessibility of tourists / visitors to a number of businesses and provision for the issuance and award of a relevant signal.

In more detail, the following Brands are introduced: Visitable Brewery, Visitable Olive Mill, Visitable Cheese Factory, Accessible Tourist Destination, Accessible Tourist Enterprise, pet friendly tourist accommodation.