Niche Markets

In a country with intersecting mountain ranges, thousands of natural climbing sites, a huge range of rocks (each demanding a different style of climbing) and an ideal climate, rock-climbing in Greece is slowly becoming a popular sport for both visitors and Greeks alike.

Sports tourism agreements appear plentiful of late with major companies like TUI Hellas taking more interest in the sector, and with the government ready to create a World Athletics Museum.

Instead of the usual everyday tour packages, visitors to the recent Paris world toursim fair, were presented with interesting alternatives to sun and sea travel. Thousands upon thousands of catalogues, brochures and leaflets on country stands promoted “green” tourism, adventure trips, journeys of discovery, original and unusual excursions, and alternative types of packages to well-known destinations.

A step taken last month by the Greek government opens new possibilities for the country’s Ecotourism sector. Ecotourism, a sub-category of sustainable tourism, is considered the fastest growing market in the tourism industry, according to the World Tourism Organization, with an annual growth rate of 5% worldwide and representing 6% of the world gross domestic product, 11.4% of all consumer spending.

The Hellenic Tourism Organization has set the development of alternative forms of tourism as a priority, the organization’s secretary-general, Haris Kokkosis, told a special event on winter tourism that was held just days after the gover-nment’s new development bill was announced.

Youthful elderly people in Greece, especially when they have a satisfactory pension, are beginning to change the traditional image. They now have a social life as they go to the theater or the cinema frequently, they meet friends for meals, and they travel – to the extent that their finances permit.

Rural, conference, exhibition, athletic, religious and cultural tourism are the main ingredients for tourism development, according to speakers at the recent Negroponte Resort Eretria conference on “tourism as the key to strategic development under modern conditions.”

Prospects for travel by seniors to Greece is more than optimistic, said the head of the Research Institiute for Toruism (ITEP), Professor Panagiotis Pavlopoulos, during the recent presentation of the institute’s latest study. He said seniors are increasing in numbers as a percentage of the world’s traveling population, they have free time for travel all year around, and they have money to spend. These travelers are also culture minded. “What better destination for senior travelers than Greece?”

Legislation was tabled in parliament recently that if passed would modernize Greece’s 1920 legislation regarding spa tourism. Government says the new legislation would create a solid base for the development of spa tourism in Greece by both the public and private sector.

Some 46 speakers, through case studies, showed how important and viable sports is to a country’s tourism sector during last month’s International Association of Scientific Experts in Tourism’s (AIEST) 53rd world congress held at the Divani Apollo Hotel in Kavouri September 8-11 on the theme “Tourism and Sports.” The congress was opened by Development Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos.