Athens Tourism Development Agency Activated

The City of Athens Tourism and Economic Development Agency is distributing a new city map at City of Athens tourist info centers throughout the Greek capital. The map includes useful information for visitors including how to get around the city, transportation (metro, tramcar, trolley, bus and suburban rail) schedules, useful phone numbers and opening hours/ticket prices for museums and sites. It also includes a second complementary map of Athens’ historic center, highlighting archaeological sites, monuments and places of interest.

The map is an initiative of the Athens Tourism and Economic Development Agency in cooperation with the Hellenic Hoteliers Chamber, the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises, the Hellenic Association of Tourist and Travel Agencies, and the Hellenic Retailers Association.

The agency acts as a platform of cooperation be-tween all tourism-related agencies and organizations in the Attica region. Its mission is to draw up a joint strategy for the promotion of the Attica region and present Athens as an attractive year-round tourist destination.

Strategic aims for the period 2005-2006 are to combine the strengths of the private sector with the backing of the municipality; to differentiate Athens’ tourism product and boost its competitiveness; and to encourage sustainable tourism development.

The agency has already applied for European Union Programs (Interreg III B – Archimed & Medocc), all of which are related with tourism development.

Presently, the agency is drawing up a coordinated strategy in collaboration with all the parties involved for the development, management and promotion of the Attica and Athens tourism product with the support of the tourism ministry.

The overall strategy includes the creating a signage system aimed at highlighting historic areas and monuments; research in collaboration with the Attica prefecture authorities on tourism-related subjects; the production of a series of informative publications; and the design of a special visitor’s pass, which will offer holders admission to museums, archaeological sites, mass means of transportation with the aim of stimulating the city’s wider economic development and ensuring access to monuments and sites across the city.