An informative meeting and open discussion on Accessible and Sustainable Tourism, in the context of the implementation of educational actions of the Regional Observatory of Social Inclusion, took place via video conference on Thursday, February 15, 2024 at 11:00 a.m.
The event was attended by representatives and executives of the local government bodies of the South Aegean Region, tourism executives and professionals, as well as representatives of agencies.
Accessibility is a topical issue in an eminently touristic region like the South Aegean that concerns local communities in terms of implementing necessary measures. Accordingly, in recent years, the discussion has been expanding around sustainable tourism development models for medium-long-term and strategic planning in this sector.
The aim of the event was to highlight good practices in tourism, with a view to social inclusion and improving the quality of life of the residents.
At the beginning of the event, Ms. Kyriaki Kyritsi, Head of the Social Support Department of Cyclades – Head of the Social Inclusion Observatory of the South Aegean, and Konstantina Kourkoumari, Executive at the Social Inclusion Observatory of the South Aegean, Crowdpolicy, addressed a short greeting to the speakers and participants and briefly presented the importance of accessibility and sustainability in tourism as well as the research results of the Observatory of Social Inclusion in relation to accessibility.
Then, the speakers took the floor and, through short speeches, they pointed out the problem but also the importance of promoting and strengthening Accessible and Sustainable Tourism through horizontal policies and good applicable practices. More specifically:
Mr. Vasilios Koutsianos, Secretary General of the National Confederation of Disabled People (NCDP) delivered a short speech on “Tourism and People with Disabilities”. He pointed out the problems, proposed solutions and highlighted the importance of accessibility not only in tourism but also in everyday life.
Ms. Christianna Papitsi, Vice Mayor of Tourism of the Municipality of Syros-Ermoupoli, spoke about the steps taken in order to promote the Accessibility and Sustainability of the Municipality of Syros-Ermoupoli, and presented the implementation of aids for People with Special Needs on well-known beaches of the island.
Ms. Matina Voukelatou Christodoulidi, Vice Mayor of Tourism, Culture and Volunteering of the Municipality of Kos, greeted the participants and interlocutors, and pointed out that horizontal implementation policies for accessibility should be the only solution so that direct interventions can be achieved by all local authorities.
Mr. Konstantinos Revinthis, Mayor of Serifos, addressed a short greeting and then spoke about the actions and interventions that have been carried out in the Municipality and pointed out that this is just the beginning as “Tourism must be accessible to everyone”.
Ms. Eirini Petridi, Executive at the Municipality of Symi, talked about the important interventions that have been carried out in Symi, but also about the virtual and augmented reality applications of the Municipality for citizens and visitors.
Mr. Stavros Stellas, member of the Board of Directors of the Cultural Association of Archilochus of Paros, spoke about the importance of reclaiming public space and the beach movement, which started in Paros.
Ms. Eleni Kontiza, Municipal Councilor of the Municipality of Mykonos, as well as Mr. Anastasios Milios, Deputy Mayor of Tourism of the Municipality of Karpathos, also delivered a speech.
A short discussion followed. You can watch the podcast video of all the speeches of the Observatory day at https://spoti.fi/3T7CUsU.
The action was carried out with the technical and operational support of the innovation and technology company Crowdpolicy. More information about the Observatory: https://socialobservatory.pnai.gov.gr/
