The tourism and cultural sectors are joining forces through a collaboration between the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises (SETE) and the Attica Region to upgrade city break offerings – one of the most commercially promising tourism products in the Greek market for the coming years, after the timeless “Sun and Sea” category.
During the recent meeting between Attica Regional Governor Nikos Hardalias and the Board of Directors of the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises (SETE), attended by New Metropolitan Attica President Dimitris Fragkakis, all parameters were discussed to launch targeted enhancement of Attica not only as a city break destination, but also as a metropolitan region that can offer many different experiences 365 days a year.
According to measurements by the Institute of the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises (INSETE), the top markets for cultural tourism are the USA, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, France, Brazil and Australia. At the same time, it’s estimated that tourists from the USA and Europe are more likely to book day trips or two-day cultural excursions during their stay, compared to Australians and New Zealanders, who tend to book through local agents.
“We had a particularly productive discussion with the state’s most important social partner while presenting the Attica Region and Destination Management and Marketing Organization (DMMO) plan for tourism development in the basin,” commented New Metropolitan Attica President Dimitris Fragkakis, emphasizing the importance of connecting tourism with culture, environmental benefits and citizens’ daily life, as well as enhancing destination competitiveness through sustainable infrastructure and quality services. “We agreed to proceed with specific joint actions and initiatives for promoting tourism policy to benefit society and businesses,” he emphasized.
Attica: A tourism destination for 365 days a year
N. Hardalias, for his part, said that Attica Region is the first Greek region to establish a Destination Management and Marketing Organization (DMMO) under the name “The Greater Athens Region,” which constitutes the basic slogan of its tourism policy as a modern tool for holistic management and promotion of the tourism product of every corner of Attica worldwide.
Furthermore, the Attica regional governor highlighted the effective connection between culture and tourism, referring to the recent signing of the Integrated Territorial Investment (ITI) worth 40 million euros with the Ministry of Culture, concerning the upgrade of cultural infrastructure and services, protection and promotion of monuments, and enhancement of cultural events that attract incoming tourism.
It should be noted that special actions to strengthen urban tourism have already been launched, such as projects for the reopening of the Old Acropolis Museum, restoration of the fire-damaged neoclassical building (Stadiou 47) and its conversion into a Theater Museum, renovation of the heritage building and its conversion into a cultural center (Dioskoron 7) in Plaka, restoration of the heritage “Kokovikos House” in Plaka and its conversion into a cultural events venue, among others.
