Evrytania: The ‘Alps’ with a Touch of Greece

By Maria Paravantes in Berlin

Greece is much more than sea and sun, and Evrytania is the place to discover the alternative side of Greek summer, says Evrytania Hoteliers Association secretary Sofia Flega at the ITB Berlin on Thursday.

Speaking to the Greek Travel Pages (GTP), Flega refers to the Evrytania region in central Greece, as an undiscovered gem. “It’s an alpine destination that offers a wide array of options for the traveler who wants to do more than just sit in the sun,” she says.

The priority now for the Evrytania region’s hoteliers is to focus on promoting alternative, adventure and 50+ tourism in a destination ideal for hiking, climbing, rafting, trekking and much more.

“We’re not targeting the tourist who wants to sit in the hotel or those seeking mainstream travel, we’re setting our sights on those visitors who want to go a bit further, who are curious, want to explore, and actually be part of the destination,” Flega, also a member of the Karpenisi Tourism Committee, tells the GTP.

”Evrytania is an alternative form of alpine travel,” she adds. “For more than 50 years, everyone identifies Greece with sea and sun. Well, there’s much more than that and it’s about time people discover this.”

Evrytania attracts primarily Israeli travelers “who are well-read on the region and come prepared to enjoy its diverse products, opting for example to stay at a hotel one day and then camp by the river the next,” Flega says.

Meanwhile, the number of Greek visitors to the region has dropped. During the ITB Berlin, Flega expects to introduce the region to the German market “but much more needs to be done so that people learn more about Evrytania. That’s why we attend international tourism fairs… to get the word across.”