Greek Tourism Ministry Presents New Bill to Establish DMMOs

Greek Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis on Monday presented a new bill with a range of provisions that aim to resolve a number of sectoral issues of economic, social, developmental and environmental importance. The bill was presented during a cabinet meeting chaired by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

The new bill, which among other things includes the establishment of Destination Marketing & Management Organizations (DMMO) and of a body to develop the country’s thermal springs, was drawn to reduce bureaucracy and support investment projects in Greece.

More specifically, the new bill of the Tourism Ministry foresees:

– The establishment of Destination Marketing & Management Organizations (DMMO) to secure a public-private cooperation framework for the strategic promotion of tourism products and ensure the quality of offered services. The planned DMMOs are considered to be a key tool for changing Greece’s tourism model and finding solutions to issues such as overtourism in certain destinations.

– The establishment of a “Greek Organization of Tourist Destinations of Global Scope”, which will look to detect the country’s destinations of national importance and set a framework for their protection by monitoring capacity indicators, setting development strategies and coordinating the creation of the necessary infrastructure to support each area.

– The establishment of an organization for the effective use of thermal natural resources in Greece in order to develop health and wellness tourism, secure sustainable tourism development and activate private investment funds.

– The creation of a body for the management and promotion of the Zakynthos Shipwreck – the second most visited and recognized tourist attraction in Greece that records some 4,000 visitors daily in the summer and over 1 million annually. The management body will be responsible to protect the shipwreck attraction on Zakynthos from damage, maintain it in a proper condition to welcome visits and ensure the safety of tourists.

– The launch of a Cruise Development Council for the better coordination of all public and private bodies involved in the cruise sector. The role of the council will be advisory and will include representatives from all relevant ministries and from sectoral bodies as members.