Peloponnese Tourism Stakeholders Explore Possibility of Annual Hiking Festival

The Secretary General for Tourism Policy Myron Flouris (center) and Peloponnese Tourism Organization President Konstantinos Marinakis (second from right) with tourism professionals.

Peloponnese tourism stakeholders agreed this week that hosting an annual hiking festival would help establish the region as a leading alternative tourism destination.

The idea was presented during a meeting between Secretary General for Tourism Policy Myron Flouris, Peloponnese Tourism Organization (PTO) President Konstantinos Marinakis, members of the Arcadia Hotels Association, and local tourism professionals in Dimitsana as part of the Regenerate Arcadia initiative.

Marinakis said an international festival on the back of the successful Mainalon Trail initiative that would also include cultural routes would interconnect local products and services.

Part of the Menalon Trail, Greece’s first officially certified footpath.

The goal of the meeting was to bring together all stakeholders for the design of a long-term tourism strategy that would focus on Arcadia’s sustainable tourism potential.

Among others, Flouris referred to the tourism ministry’s policies aimed at supporting mountain destinations and mainland Greece. “The formulation of the tourist product through joint actions and policies initiated by local communities is in line with the tourism model promoted and supported by the ministry,” he said.

Stressing the importance of promoting Arcadia and the wider Peloponnese as an area of mild tourism development, Marinakis said outdoor activities, culture, and agritourism could offer visitors authentic experiences by bringing them closer to nature and at the same time respecting the environment. These activities could also support entrepreneurship, create new jobs, and boost the local economy.