Greek Ministries Set Agenda for Fishing Tourism Development

Greek Deputy Agricultural Development Minister Simos Kedikoglou and Greek Deputy Tourism Minister Sofia Zacharaki.

Greece’s ministries of tourism and agricultural development added the development and promotion of fishing tourism to the agenda this week.

Deputy Tourism Minister Sofia Zacharaki and Deputy Agricultural Development Minister Simos Kedikoglou recently met with a team of experts to discuss ways to coordinate initiatives and actions with local stakeholders for the promotion of fishing tourism activities.

Topping the list of priorities is pushing ahead with the reform of a framework that will cover fishing tourism operations and business activity, enable the introduction of incentives and updating if necessary relevant legislation in this direction.

Key to the development of fishing tourism activities is promotion and marketing actions in Greece and abroad as part of a wider campaign highlighting the country’s alternative tourism options.

Kedikoglou, who is responsible for Fisheries Policy, said a pilot marketing campaign including fishing tourism will start off from Evia and serve as a model for the national campaign, which will be presented in Halkida in the coming weeks.

He said the aim was two-fold: “On the one hand, to protect fishing stocks and provide fishermen with an alternative source of income but also to provide tourism with an additional tool as Greece is an ideal destination for fishing tourism,” he added.

On her part, Zacharaki underlined the importance of awareness raising and cooperation with local fishermen as well as the need to offer incentives.