Eftychia Karantza

Strategies for Sustainable

Tourism Development

thessaloniki

who is who?

Thessaloniki is the second largest city in

Greece and the capital of Macedonia, the

nation’s largest region. It has a population

approximately 1million, when in the same

time it is the second major economic,

industrial, commercial and political center in

the country, and a transportation hub for the

rest of southern-eastern Europe & the

Balkans. It was founded on 315BC (2329

years ago) and incorporated on Oct. 1912

(102 years ago) [Wikipedia, 2014].

Mediterranean climate

Autumn begins in late October, when the

first rain and low temperatures occur.

January and February are considered to be

the coldest months, with temperatures

around 0ºC, while some days temperature

reaches below 0.

Rainfall is frequent, with large intervals of

sunlight. Days with freezing or minus

temperature over more than 24 hours are

extremely rare.

There is snowfall during some winter days in

the northern parts of the urban complex and

the outskirts of the city. It rarely snows within

the city.

Spring begins in early March, with long

sunlight and sudden changes in weather

and temperature.

There are high temperatures during the day

and low temperatures during the night.

April is similar to March, but with higher

temperatures. The weather becomes stable

in May, with the first signs of summer.

June is a pleasant summer month, whilst

July and August are characterized by high

temperatures approaching or even

exceeding 40ºC.

September is a very pleasant month without

sudden weather changes and with very

pleasant temperatures. [Wikipedia, 2014].

Echo of the past

I. Church of Panagia Chalkeon

II. Blatades Monastery

III. Church of Saint Demetrios

IV. Church of Saint Sofia

V. Rotunda

VI. Church of Acheiropoietos

VII. Latomou Monastery

VIII. Church of Saint Panteleimon

IX. Church of the Holy Apostles

X. Church of Saint Nicholas

Orphanos

XI. Church of Saint Catherine

XII. Church of Christ Saviour

XIII. Church of Prophet Elijah

XIV. Byzantine Bath

XV. City Walls

XVI. Galerius Arch

XVII. White Tower

XVIII. OTE Tower

XIX. Museum of Byzantine Culture

XX. The Archaeological Museum

XXI. Macedonian Museum of

Contemporary Art

*1-XV UNESCO World Heritage

Monuments [www.thessaloniki.gr, 2014]

Be my guest

According to a recent survey, the average

tourist for Thessaloniki is 30-50 years old,

mostly travelling either for recreation with a

partner or for business/conference alone.

More specifically:

37% were affected by

relatives/friends

44% booked online

58% visit Thessaloniki for its

personality!!

37% use touristic sites

59% visited White Tower

74% use social media

[Aris Ikkos,2013]

Experiences

[2]

The Thessaloniki International Fair,

over 15 trade fairs, Infacoma,

Philoxenia, Agrotica, Zootechnia,

Detrop, Kosmima, Furnidec,

Furnima, EnergyTech are just some

of the pages in TIF-HELEXPO’s

exhibition agenda, which adds new

exhibitions every year and

promotes different proposals; all the

exhibitions organized by TIF

HELEXPO at its facilities in

Thessaloniki.

International Film Festival. The

oldest festival in the Balkans for the

creations of emerging film makers

from all over the world (Competition

Section for feature length films by

emerging directors presenting their

first or second film).

Reworks. The audio – visual

Festival of Thessaloniki that wishes

to present the most modern artistic

waves, from all over the world, to

Greece.

Thessaloniki Night Run

More than 12.000 runners of any

age and physical fitness participate

in the International Night Half-

marathon of Thessaloniki,

experience the unique organization

and flood the coastal avenue in the

Centre of Thessaloniki.

2014 World Rowing Coastal

Championships

Coastal rowing is the extreme

version, the adventure side of

rowing. It involves rowing along a

sea coast and out into the sea and

is one of the fastest growing

communities of rowers. Rowing on

rough water means that coastal

rowing is quite different from the

flat-water Olympic style of going in

a straight line. Coastal rowers

instead, often prefer rough water

which adds a whole new dimension

to the sport with many coastal

rowers cherishing the exhilarating

aspect of rowing in extreme

conditions.

Food festival

The annual gastronomic festival of

Thessaloniki boosting new trends to

the local cuisine. Tourists and

locals enjoy dinners at 10 Euro cost

every Tuesday in selected

restaurants.

Dimitria

The ‘Dimitria’ has its roots in 12th

century Byzantine Thessaloniki. As

a mark of devotion towards St

Dimitrios, the city’s Protector and

Patron, the people of Thessaloniki

established an artistic celebration in

his name.

[www.thessaloniki.gr, 2014]

Sustainable initiatives

In an international context of

protracted recession, the concept of

sustainability tends to be perceived

as a parameter of the global

economy only. However, it is

another way of managing natural

and financial resources so as to

ensure environmental protection

and social cohesion [Goethe

Institute, 2013]. In this light, there is

a limited number of sustainable

tactics that have been applied in the

Greater Thessaloniki Area, as they

follow:

Waste Water Treatment Plant-

Before the severe pressure on

water resources, furthe r

exacerbated by the high demand of

water for tourism, this project has

been built upon the findings of more

than 10 years experimental work

carried out by the Land

[3]

Reclamation Institute of the

National Agricultural Research

Foundation. Extended open canal

irrigation networks have been

constructed to transport water from

Axios and Aliakmon Rivers to the

fields. The secondary effluent of the

city’s WWTP is used for agricultural

irrigation after mixing with 1:5 ratio.

[Ilias, Panoras & Angelakis, 2014]

System of Urban Indicators- During

2009-2010 the Aristotle University

of Thessaloniki was first in Greece

to attempt the establishment of a

comprehensive set of indicators

covering the whole scope

(environmental, economic & social

pillars) of urban sustainable

development. Indicators are tools to

communicate sustainability

restoration to a diverse audience of

managers-agencies with different

agendas, multiple stakeholders and

the general public [Doren, 2008]. As

far tourism sector is concerned:

a. Number of tourists (# of arrivals)

b. Tourist accommodation (# of

overnights spent)

c. Number of hotels – hotel adequacy

(#,%)

d. Sectoral tourist analysis (%)

e. Eco-efficiency of tourism sector

(arrivals/emissions)

[Mousiopoulos,Achillas,Vlachokostas,Spyri

di,Nikolaoy,2010]

Megaro Goes Green

Venture- Thessaloniki

Concert Hall from 2013

launched its sustainable

campaign which included

online brochures,

renewable resources of

energy and several other

techniques, which over a

year have resulted into

20% reduction of energy of

this huge building, when in

the same time a taste of

sustainable methods has

been cultivated among

stuff and visitors.

[www.tch.gr, 2014]

Sustainable Urban Mobility

Plan (SUMP). The final

SUMP consists of 12

measures to be

implemented and

monitored, and

enhancements to the

SUMP methodology

including integrated pricing

and financing, travel

behaviour research and

specific attention to

mobility planning for tourist

destinations. In order of

priority for ThePTA, they

are:

•Creating a smart and integrated ticketing

and payment system;

•Allowing rapid bus transit, including bus

priority at traffic lights;

•Using awareness campaigns to discourage

the use of private cars and promote the use

of sustainable mobility modes (such as

public transport, cycling and walking);

•Promoting the tram system,

complementary to the metro, and new ways

of financing and restructuring bus routes

and accompanying urban regeneration;

•Ensuring intermodality between the metro,

trams and buses ;>

◦Creating a seaborne transport system in

the Thermaikos Gulf;

[4]

◦Providing flexible transit systems including

the restructuring of taxi services;

◦Integrating parking policy (joining together

Park and Ride and a controlled street-

parking system, with parking fees as

deterrent to car use and a revenue stream);

◦Pedestrianising and regenerating public

spaces;

◦Planning cycle lanes;

◦Creating a city bike-sharing scheme

◦Applying a congestion charge and

controlling access to the city centre.

[http://www.eltis.org/discover/case-

studies/thessaloniki-sustainable-urban-

mobility-planning-times-crisis-greece]

STRENGTHS

Already branded as a destination, chilled-

out attitude and easy living.

Mosaic of gastronomic cultures and wine

routes

Rich & varied nightlife

Great history to explore on every step of

the way- UNESCO monuments

East-West within 30min

Strong student community

Located close to nature treasures

Best waterfront in Europe

High level of Hotels

Pubic Security

OPPORTUNITIES

European Youth Capital 2014

Transportation hub for southern-eastern

Europe & the Balkans

International Film Festival

International Trade Fair

National Axios Park nearby

Most of its tourists prepare/ organize their

visit almost 10 days before arrival

Most of its visitors are IT/ social media

literate

Record number- 92% of the visitors

suggest it without preservation to others

WEAKNESSES

Port used mostly for cargo shipping; not for

passengers

Polluted air

Less than 2.5 m² green space per capita

[5]

Noise pollution

Lack of specific environmental policy

Problematic waste management

Short average stay (3.5 nights)

THREATS

Protracted recession globally

International tourists are mostly Europeans;

lack of connection with other markets

Comparison with other Mediterranean city

breaks; negative results

Low level of ARR & YTD in comparison with

other European Countries

Only 2 hotels are owned by international

firms

[6]

The Butler Model of tourist resort

development

The purpose of the Butler Model is to

look at the way that tourist resorts,

grow and develop. The tourist

industry, like all industry, is dynamic

and constantly changing. Therefore,

the Butler Model is a way of studying

tourist resorts and seeing how they

change over time and in relation to

the changing demands of the tourist

industry. These changes can then be

compared to the predictions as

shown on the model.

The Butler Model breaks down

tourist resort development into five

distinct stages.

Thessaloniki-Growth and

Development Stage

(more tourists arrive having heard

about the place by word of mouth,

articles in Travel Supplements in

papers such as The Sunday Times,

brochures or tourist guides. The

extra tourists attracted by the

publicity and people willing to visit

somewhere new will lead to the

building of new hotels, restaurants,

shops and services to cater for the

influx of people)

[http://geographyfieldwork.

com/ButlerModel.html]

[7]

MONITORING AND EVALUATION

What's measured gets managed! While

locally developed indicator systems allow

for a close supervision of local target

achievement, systems provided to cities

from national and European levels facilitate

comparison and benchmarking with other

cities.

The Integrated Urban Monitoring in

Europe (IUME) initiative by the

European Environment Agency

(EEA) brings together actors from

policy, research and stakeholder

organisations to coordinate,

integrate and harmonise the

numerous approaches towards

urban monitoring on a European

level.

The Reference Framework for

Sustainable Cities (RFSC) is an

online toolkit for European local

authorities working towards an

integrated management approach.

It provides guiding questions for

assessing projects and policies,

and a broad collection of indicators

in order for cities to compile their

individual set.

The European Green City Index

compares and ranks European

cities according to their

sustainability performance and can

therefore give hints on how to

measure such performance 'at

home'.

The European Green Capital Award

of the European Commission

identifies the city that shows the

most impressing progress in

environmental performance across

Europe every year, based on a set

of common indicators and criteria.

[http://www.sustainablecities.eu/]

CLIMATE AND ENERGY

Key issues on the local level are how to

reduce overall energy consumption, and

increase the share of renewable energy

production.

The most popular scheme to attach

a city to these goals is the Covenant

of Mayors. Launched by the

European Commission, this

European movement collects local

and regional authorities that

voluntarily commit themselves to

increase energy efficiency and the

use of renewable energy sources

on their territories.

[http://www.sustainablecities.eu/]

LEED, or Leadership in Energy and

Environmental Design, is an

internationally recognized green

building certification system. LEED

recognizes whole building

sustainable design by identifying

key areas of excellence including:

Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency,

Energy and Atmosphere, Materials

and Resources, Indoor

Environmental Quality, Locations &

Linkages, Awareness and

Education, Innovation in Design,

Regional Priority. In order for a

building to become LEED certified

sustainability needs to be prioritized

in design, construction, and use. By

far the most credits are rewarded

for optimizing energy performance.

This promotes innovative thinking

about alternative forms of energy

and encourages increased

efficiency.

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustain

able_city]

The purpose of an eco-industrial

park is to connect a number of firms

and organizations to work together

to decrease their environmental

impact while simultaneously

improving their economic

[8]

performance. The community of

businesses accomplishes this goal

through collaboration in managing

environmental and resource issues,

such as energy, water, and

materials. The components for

building an eco-industrial park

include natural systems, more

efficient use of energy, and more

efficient material and water flows.

Industrial parks should be built to fit

into their natural settings in order to

reduce environmental impacts,

which can be accomplished through

plant design, landscaping, and

choice of materials. The

landscaping of the building will

include native trees, grasses, and

flowers, and the landscaping design

will also act as climate shelter for

the facility. [Lowe, Ernest A. 2001]

SOCIAL INCLUSION

Cities boost both economic growth and

social relationships. However, Thessaloniki

is facing increasing problems related to

social and economic exclusion which

usually are concentrated in specific areas of

the city and affect particular groups.

The themes of the European Commission's

programme URBACT can provide support

to local authorities in creating tools to

promote social cohesion: 'Disadvantaged

Neighbourhoods' aims to tackle inequalities

within cities; and 'Active Inclusion' focuses

on supporting some of the most

marginalised groups.

The 'Agenda for new skills and jobs' should

help to fortify the labour market and reduce

unemployment, while the 'European

platform against poverty' promotes mutual

learning in order to reduce poverty and

social

exclusion. [http://www.sustainablecities.eu

/]

There is no doubt about the importance of

investing on tourism industry skills of

citizens with low quality of life.

.

ADAPTATION AND RESILIENCE

Adaptation to climate change is one of the

biggest challenges today. As climate

change will potentially affect all aspects of

urban life, including of course tourism

activities, stakeholders have to increase

their knowledge on its possible impacts and

respond with proper adaptation plans.

The Knowledge Bank about adaptation

strategies for European cities allows local

governments to browse among a number of

materials, programmes, case studies and

tools dedicated to cities on this topic.

An opportunity for the municipality

representatives to connect with colleagues

and experts is provided by Resilient Cities,

an annual global forum for discussion

around adaptation challenges faced in

urban environments around the world.

[http://www.sustainablecities.eu/]

INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT

The steps underlying such a management

system have been defined in the so-called

Sustainability Cycle via a regular process of

stock-taking, target setting, implementation

and evaluation.

a. BASELINE REVIEW

b. TARGET SETTING

c. POLITICAL COMMITMENT

[9]

d. IMPLEMENTATION AND

MONITORING

e. EVALUATION AND

REPORTING

The Reference Framework for Sustainable

Cities (RFSC) is a tool for local governments

to assess if a local project, policy or strategy

integrates all aspects of sustainability, and

to enhance cooperation between

departments of the local administration.

[http://www.sustainablecities.eu/]

BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEM

SERVICES

Considering that Thessaloniki is surrounded

by exceptional natural treasures, the

principle that one area of land can offer

multiple benefits, which can coexist and

enhance each other rather than competing,

is embedded in the green infrastructure

concept. For this reason Thessaloniki

should align with the European Commission

that has developed a Green Infrastructure

Strategy as part of the broader EU

Biodiversity Strategy to 2020.

[http://www.sustainablecities.eu/]

URBAN PLANNING

Urban planning connects, coordinates and

organizes many of the local policy areas that

lead to sustainable development such as

mobility, land use, energy, social inclusion,

etc.

Instruments to integrate the several aspects

of spatial development are provided by the

European Regional Development Fund

(ERDF), which includes among its aims to

reduce economic, environmental and social

problems in towns.

The European Spatial Planning Observation

Network (ESPON), provides comparable

information, evidence, analyses and

scenarios on territorial dynamics and

reveals territorial capital and potentials for

development of regions. According to Gillian

Bristow “again what emerged from the

ESPON case study by looking at Greece is

that the crisis has challenged the local city

and regional levels to respond. It seems that

the local actors and policy makers have very

limited power and capacities to do what they

want to do. There is a mismatch and

imbalance between what they desire to

achieve and what actually can be done due

to the inadequate decentralization of

political power, financial resources and

organizational capacities.” [SDRU: Spatial

Development Research Unit, 2014]

More focused on the urban level is

URBACT, a European exchange and

learning programme promoting sustainable

urban development.

MOBILITY AND TRANSPORT

Mobility has become an important value of

modern societies, however it also

contributes to climate change, air pollution

and the congestion of cities. Organising

local mobility in a sustainable way therefore

means to promote non-motorised transport

modes, improve public transport and

explore innovative forms of individual

transport. Furthermore, options that make

transport unnecessary right from the start

need increased attention.

[10]

The concept of Thessaloniki as Car free city

or a city with large pedestrian areas could

be part of the design of it as a sustainable

tourism destination. A large amount of the

carbon footprint of a city is generated from

cars so it is often consider being an integral

part of the design of a sustainable city.

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_cit

y]

As major focus, sustainable transportation

should attempt to reduce the city’s reliance

and use of greenhouse emitting gases by

utilizing eco-friendly urban planning, low

environmental impact vehicles, and

residential proximity to create an urban

center that has greater environmental

responsibility and social equity.

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_cit

y].

Despite being in a deep economic

recession, Thessaloniki should prioritize the

deep implementation of its SUMP

programme.

[http://www.eltis.org/discover/case-

studies/thessaloniki-sustainable-urban-

mobility-planning-times-crisis-greece]

CULTURE

Cultural management experts, directors of

national theatre institutions, pioneering

organizations and networks should offer

inspiration and propose innovative

interventions across the whole range of

culture. [Goethe Institute, 2013]

Local community should be placed at the

heart of the multicultural debate provoked

by the phenomenon of tourism.

HOLISTIC TOURISM MODEL-THE

BROADER AREA OF THESSALONIKI

Thessaloniki is surrounded by extraordinary

landscapes and locations that can inspire

every visitor with their natural beauty, and

as a consequence local governors should

invest on its role as a core of perimetrical

tourism development.

In the southern part of the city, there

is the organized marina of Aretsou,

a convenient and pleasant mooring

spot for recreational craft, an ideal

starting point for a trip to Halkidiki or

the quaint islands of the Vories

Sporades. Thermaikos Gulf and the

picturesque beaches of Perea, Nei

Epivates and Agia Triada, are the

traditional resorts for holiday-

makers from Greece and abroad,

as they are easily accessible by

road along the gulf coastline,

forming indeed two green zones for

the city.

In the South-East, along the gulf,

stands Mt. Olympus in its divine

grandeur, home of the ancient

deities, with its unique flora.

According to Homer, on the peak of

Mt. Olympus stood Zeus’ palace,

the roof of which (the sky dome)

was made of copper and stretched

over the whole of the earth. “No

wind ever shakes the untroubled

peace of Olympus;

Homer – Odyssey”

Pella, the ancient capital of the

Macedonian state, where

Alexander the Great was born and

reigned, is another archaeological –

and not only – site. The ruins of

[11]

Alexander the Great’s palace are

there, within which one can admire

exquisite mosaics of great historical

significance.

Vergina, an ancient city of world

acclaim due to its famous royal

tombs of the 4th century B.C. and

its model archaeological museum,

is a site where one can admire, next

to the remains of King Philip II,

precious exhibits reflecting the

wealth, grandeur and glory of the

Macedonian Kingdom.

To the South-East of Thessaloniki

lies Halkidiki, a charming peninsula

ending in three fingers, famous for

its wonderful beaches, tiny islands

and small bays. Visitors can find

almost everything they desire there.

An opportunity open only to male

visitors is an excursion to the third

finger of Halkidiki Peninsula, which

for more than a thousand years,

has been the territory of the Greek

Monastic State of “Mt. Athos”, the

residence of monks of various

orders. This is a unique land

containing invaluable items and

treasures of incalculable historical

value.

HEALTH

If Thessaloniki’s governors are interested in

committing themselves to health and

sustainable tourism development, they can

do so through the European Healthy Cities

Network of the World Health Organisation

(WHO). The network's primary goal is to put

health high on the social, economic and

political agenda of city governments. It

proposes clear criteria for cities on how to

achieve this in phases that are renewed

every five years.

Promoting good health is also an important

goal for the European Commission which

uses the Second Programme of Community

Action in the field of health (Health

Programme) as its main instrument to

implement the EU Health Strategy. The

Health Programme offers funding

opportunities to various actors, amongst

them local governments, if they propose

projects that contribute at least to one of the

programme's 3 main objectives.

In addition, the Commission is working on

Health for Growth - Proposal for the 3rd

multi-annual programme 2014-2020.

[http://www.sustainablecities.eu/]

GOVERNANCE AND PARTICIPATION

Ever since the Local Agenda 21 mandate of

the Rio-Agenda in 1992, where local

governments world-wide were requested to

'consult citizens and community, business

and industrial organizations to gather

information and build a consensus on

sustainable development strategies', local

policy-making for sustainability is widely

understood to be much more than just the

decisions taken by the mayor or council.

[http://www.sustainablecities.eu/]

Thus, a fruitful and democratic way towards

sustainability is the use of indicators in an

extended level, so that stakeholders with

different backgrounds can create a shared

vision of sustainable tourism development.

[Mousiopoulos, Achillas, Vlachokostas,

Spyridi, Nikolaoy, 2010]

[12]

References

Aris Ikkos, 2013, Research of

clients satisfaction, Gbr Consulting

Doren, 2008, Ecological Indicators

for system-wide assessment of the

greater everglades ecosystem

restoration program. Ecol. Indic.

9(6) s2-16

http://www.eltis.org/discover/case-

studies/thessaloniki-sustainable-

urban-mobility-planning-times-

crisis-greece

Gillian Bristow, 2014, SDRU:

Spatial Development Research

Unit,

Goethe Institute, 2013,

International Conference

Sustainability & Culture

http://geographyfieldwork.com/Butl

erModel.html

Ilias, Panoras & Angelakis, 2014,

Waste Water Recycling In Greece:

The case of Thessaloniki, Open

Access, p. 2876-2892

Lowe, Ernest A. 2001Eco-industrial

Park Handbook for Asian

Developing Countries. A Report to

Asian Development Bank,

Environment Department, Indigo

Development, Oakland, CA

Mousiopoulos, Achillas,

Vlachokostas, Spyridi, Nikolaoy,

2010, Environmental, social and

economic information management

for the evaluation of sustainability in

urban areas: A system of indicators

for Thessaloniki, Cities 2010 377-

384

http://www.sustainablecities.eu/

www.tch.gr

www.thessaloniki.gr

[13]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thessal

oniki

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustain

able_city