Greece Prepares Agrotourism Strategy

In efforts to diversify the tourist product on offer, the Greek tourism ministry announced this week that it was drafting a new agrotourism plan aimed among others at channeling revenues into local communities as well as creating new jobs.

Speaking during the AgriBusiness Forum 2020 held in Athens on Wednesday, focusing on “Food Safety, Security & Resilience: Pressing Challenges in the Covid-19 Era and Beyond”, Greek Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis said the big bet for this year was “the safe opening of tourism, while maintaining the quality characteristics of the domestic tourism product”.

Theoharis said the new plan will focus on linking primary production with tourism.

“The ministry’s strategy focuses on sustainability, quality and authenticity of the Greek tourism product,” said Theoharis adding that actions are being taken to update and develop the tourism framework for special interest tourism which includes incentives and tools for farmers.

“Agrifood will play a significant role in the promotion and marketing of Greek tourism in the near future,” said Theoharis.

Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis

The minister went on to add that the development of agrotourism is aimed at securing additional income for rural families; the opening of new jobs as a result of the creation of agritourism enterprises which can offer accommodation or production and distribution services of agritourism products; and contribute to keeping rural communities alive.

Theoharis concluded that the ministry’s action plan includes the presentation of the strategy “in the coming period by the newly set up gastronomy tourism working group, the implementation of projects we have already submitted to boost gastronomy within the framework of the EU Recovery Fund, and the development of a general strategic plan, which will be promoted and advertised by the ministry and the GNTO so that our country can enter the global gastronomy map dynamically”.