Greece Allocates €100m to Culture Projects in Thessaly Region

Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the Ancient Theater of Larissa in Thessaly. Photo source: Culture Ministry

As part of efforts to enhance the tourism offering in the Thessaly Region, Central Greece, Culture Minister Lina Mendoni announced 100 million euros in funding to go towards the identification, restoration and promotion of cultural sites and landmarks.

“Enhancing cultural tourism in the Thessaly Region is a key culture ministry objective as the region is an emerging tourist destination,” said Mendoni during Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ presentation of the Thessaly Development Program earlier this week in Larissa.

Among others, Mendoni said the ministry would create cultural routes that will support new tourism products paving the way for “a new kind of cultural entrepreneurship closely linked to the cultural wealth of each region and to the creation of new jobs”.

Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni speaking during a meeting at the Region of Thessaly headquarters in Larissa. Photo source: Culture Ministry

In this direction, Mendoni said the ministry had been formulating a “Cultural Map of Development and Prosperity” for each of the country’s regions – a roadmap of sorts focusing on actions that will promote culture as a strategic development tool that will also ensure social cohesion and well-being.

The announced funding from EU resources in collaboration with the Thessaly Region covers preservation and restoration works on monuments and archaeological sites and the creation of new museum and cultural infrastructure.

Culture Minister Lina Mendoni with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Bezesteni, Larissa.

Among others Mendoni referred to the creation of underwater museums around Alonissos island and in the Western Pagasitikos Gulf; the formulation of an Integrated Management Plan for the balanced tourism development of Meteora; the creation of a cultural route connecting Byzantine monuments in Pelion and on Skiathos; the upgrade of infrastructure at the Theopetra Cave and the Neolithic settlement of Dimini.

During her visit to Thessaly, Mendoni also met with Regional Governor Kostas Agorastos, and later with Deputy Tourism Minister Sofia Zacharaki and local tourism stakeholders in Trikala with whom she discussed ways to integrate culture into the region’s tourism product.