Ancient theater of Larissa.
Photo source: Municipality of Larissa
Promoting Larissa and the wider Thessaly region as a tourist destination topped the agenda of the municipality’s newly-launched tourist development and promotion committee, which convened for the first time on Thursday.
The aim of the agency is to initially provide Larissa with a brand/identity and then design a long-term tourism development plan, which will pave the way for sustainable tourism practices that will boost the local economy.
Larissa Mayor George Soultis, who presided over the meeting, said the committee would operate on an open basis and would involve all tourism industry professionals.
“We believe the committee can play a crucial role in the development of the tourism sector, not only for our city, but for the wider region and all of Thessaly,” he said.
A fountain in Larissa Park. In the back one can see a monument created by the artist Filolaos Tloupas from Larissa. Photo © Konstantinos Ntougkas
Priority issues to be addressed by the committee include tapping into the increased interest by scientific institutions and associations, recording problems, designing and implementing a far-reaching promotional campaign and planning tourism-related activities.
In the meantime, the University of Thessaly is preparing a strategic marketing plan for the region, basic points of which were presented on Thursday, by economics professor Theodoros Metaxas. The plan will be open to public discussion in February.
