Katerini, Greece, Joins EU Smart Tourism Destinations Program

Photo source: Municipality of Katerini

The Municipality of Katerini in northern Greece will participate in the European Commission’s Smart Tourism Destinations program in an aim to promote the city’s tourism offerings through collaboration with other European destinations.

“The participation of Katerini in the Smart Tourism Destinations program, consisting of 50 European cities, has been approved,” the municipality said in an announcement.

The EU program aims to facilitate access to tourism and hospitality products and services through technological innovation. EU cities learn how to implement innovative digital solutions to make tourism sustainable and accessible, fully leveraging on their cultural heritage and creativity to improve the tourism experience.

Moreover, the project focuses on the ways EU cities can adopt data-driven approaches to become or improve as smart tourism destinations with the involvement of a large number of stakeholders, including policy-makers, private sectors practitioners and academic researchers.

Katerini will participate in the program in order to set the foundations for cooperation, exchange of know-how, experiences and best practices within the EU ecosystem.

“We take advantage of every opportunity to increase our visitors. Our cooperation with other European cities and institutions is an opportunity to enrich our activities and proceed with targeted actions in all aspects of tourism activity,” Katerini Mayor Kostas Koukodimos said.

Municipality representatives will take part in the program’s first meeting with the Commission, independent experts and the other selected destinations in June.