Greek Tourism Ministry Discusses Plans to Showcase Kastoria

Kastoria, northern Greece. Photo source: Visit Greece / G. Bozounis

The promotion of Kastoria recently topped the agenda of talks between Deputy Tourism Minister Sofia Zacharaki and the city’s mayor, Giannis Korentsidis.

Zacharaki pledged to support the city’s promotional actions adding that the ministry “wants to ‘build’ a sustainable destination with the region’s natural and environmental wealth”.

The promotion of Kastoria comes as part of the ministry’s greater plan to showcase the region of Macedonia. One way of bringing tourists to the region is through the implementation of the “Tourism for All” program which subsidizes holidays for low-income citizens.

Greek Deputy Tourism Minister Sofia Zacharaki.

Zacharaki referred to the “many opportunities for the development of thematic tourism in Kastoria and the wider region”, including its prehistoric and Byzantine monuments and emphasis on mountain tourism through the use of mountain lodges and walking paths in the Grammos mountain range, the thermal springs of Argos Orestiko, but also on local traditional gastronomy.

Mayor Korentsidis requested “generous support” for the “outward” promotion of Kastoria, the ministry’s auspices for a tourism conference in the city, and its support in showcasing Lake Orestiada, a protected natural habitat and part of the EU’s NATURA 2000 program.

Zacharaki also met with local fur business owners, hoteliers and restauranters to discuss ways to deal with the impact of Covid on activities.

“The ‘Tourism for All’ program that ran in 2021, was the largest program to date, offering a breather to the hotel and F&B sectors,” she said, adding that efforts were underway to secure funding for its continuation into 2022.