Greek Deputy Tourism Minister Sofia Zacharaki has given her approval for the setting up of a committee for the further development of diving tourism in Greece.
The goal of the committee will be to provide information on the sustainable development of diving tourism and to promote dive destinations and attractions.
“The tourism ministry is actively reviewing and adopting a new, sustainable and blue model for Greece’s tourism development… We are now investing strategically in special forms of tourism, taking advantage of the comparative advantages we have as a country,” Zacharaki said in an announcement.
The committee for diving tourism will have 10 members and will be chaired by Dimitris Markatos. Among other things it will examine available data, study trends, make recommendations and propose initiatives to develop the country’s diving tourism offering.
“Through diving tourism we can rightly claim the emergence of our country as a top tourist destination in the world,” the deputy minister said, adding that the ministry intends to launch every necessary action to implement – for the first time – a national strategy for the development of this special tourism form.
Moreover, Zacharaki said that the launch of the committee marks the beginning of a national effort to utilize the countless diving tourism opportunities offered in Greece, which will be further strengthened through announced investments in infrastructure projects that will be financed through resources available from the Recovery Fund.
These investments include the creation of new diving centers and the upgrade of existing ones in Greece and the training of staff.
The development and promotion of diving tourism and other special forms of tourism are strategic priorities of the Greek Tourism Ministry in its aim to enrich Greece’s tourism offerings and help the industry recover from the pandemic.