Attica Region Seeks to Create ‘Health, Wellness and Greek Hospitality Village’

Photo source: Visit Greece / Y. Skoulas

Attica Region Governor Giorgos Patoulis announced this week that plans were being considered for the creation in Athens and the wider Attica region of a “Health, Wellness and Greek Hospitality Village”.

Addressing a meeting of Greece’s Regional Tourism Council under Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias on Wednesday, Patoulis, who is also president of the Greek Medical Tourism Council (ELITOUR), said tapping into health and wellness tourism could contribute to the economic recovery of the country in the post-Covid-19 era and establish Greece as safe tourism destination.

In this direction, he referred to the unexploited potential of health tourism products which if developed could generate at least 13.6 billion euros, he said.

Patoulis said the region was currently designing a “Health, Wellness and Greek Hospitality” village where visitors will be able to experience Greek hospitality through a series of wellbeing programs and activities. As part of the project, medical units would be linked with tourist facilities into a unified tourism entity.

There is vast scope for development of health and medical tourism options, he said, including among others the utilization of Greece’s spa and natural spring facilities. To move actions forward, Patoulis requested legislative provisions which will hand over jurisdiction to regional governments.

Attica Governor Giorgos Patoulis (center) with Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias and Olympia Anastasopoulou, the Secretary General for Tourism Policy and Development of the Greek Tourism Ministry.

Patoulis went on to refer to the infrastructure upgrades in Attica that will contribute to tourism and improve the standard of living in the region including works along the Faliro Delta, marina and port upgrades and further developing the Saronic islands.

The aim he said was to establish the Attica Region into a year-round tourist destination