Christiana Kalogirou, Governor of North Aegean Region

Official Tourism Message

Tourism is a fundamental pillar for development of North Aegean Region. The actions for the promotion of our insular destinations are developed taking account of the authenticity of the landscape and the enhancement of entrepreneurship.

North Aegean islands, Lesvos, Limnos, Agios Efstratios, Chios, Oinousses, Psara, Samos, Ikaria, Fournoi and Thymaina have the potentials to follow the contemporary approach of tourism development, which is based on financial, social and environmental sustainability, where services are of high quality and personified, aiming at the provision of a wholesome experience.

Contemporary tourists/visitors seek to live the experiences of every destination, to participate in local activities and learn about the history, the cultural heritage and the natural environment of the places they visit. Our islands, having accomplished to preserve their local culture untouched through time, are in a position to satisfy these requirements and attain the diversification of their tourist product, giving the visitor the opportunity to experience the authentic Aegean hospitality. Besides their long coastline and the abundant sunshine, their major assets are their cultural heritage, the variety of their landscape and its unparalleled natural beauty, as well as their high quality local products.

According to the above mentioned elements, there is a clear potential regarding the diversification of the tourist product in North Aegean Region, by developing alternative forms of tourism: walking and cycling tourism through the islands’ trail networks, ecotourism such as bird watching in protected wetlands, special activities and hobbies such as water and air sports, health tourism through healing baths, etc.

The promotion of diversified types of tourism, as they emerge by the special qualities and features of every individual island, aims at the rising of attractiveness, the enhancement of openness, the mitigation of the inter-regional/inter-insular inequalities, the reduction of seasonality and the elimination of dual regional character.

Within a social-economic process of perpetual and intense changes, North Aegean islands are destinations that offer high quality services of hospitality and safety to their visitors.