Peloponnese Tourism Body Aims to Tap Into Argos – Nafplio Industrial Heritage

In efforts to diversify the tourism product on offer, the Peloponnese Tourism Organization (PTO) in collaboration with non-profit organization VIDA (Vault of Industrial Digital Archives) announced plans to develop the industrial sites of the Argos and Nafplio area.

Experts from VIDA joined PTO members and toured a series of industrial sites in the wider Argos–Nafplio area in an attempt to identify these and in turn raise awareness to the need of preservation with the ultimate goal to develop Greece’s industrial heritage into a comprehensive tourism product.

The three-hour tour included story-telling that focused on the development of the regions’ industrial buildings and sites, which include canned food, textiles, and tobacco factories, as well as railways connecting Argos and Nafplio to central ports.

PTO President Konstantinos Marinakos underlined the importance of preserving the region’s industrial heritage for future generations and promoting these as tourism products as well as the benefits this would have for local communities.

“Industrial tourism, as a subcategory of cultural tourism, is an alternative form of tourism which is constantly gaining ground. Today’s industrial relics are witnesses of prosperity and integral elements of historical, economic, architectural and social memory,” said Marinakos.

“However, neglect and devaluation of industrial buildings disrupts the continuity of cities’ history and deprives them of the significant advantage of diversification which would allow them to evolve as viable and competitive tourist destinations,” he added. 

In relevant news, earlier this year, Booking.com placed Nafplio on its list with the “10 Most Welcoming Cities on Earth for 2022”.