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Greek Tourism Ministry Secretary General Vasia Koutsoukou recently outlined Greece’s National Strategy for Regional and Local Development, highlighting how the island of Zakynthos can benefit from upcoming initiatives.
Her presentation, which took place during an event focused on Zakynthos, aimed to inform local stakeholders about opportunities for growth and funding that align with the island’s potential for tourism development.
During her speech, Koutsoukou emphasized the steady growth in arrivals and revenue expected in 2024, both for Zakynthos and Greece overall. She highlighted Zakynthos’ significant role in “shaping the country’s tourism identity” and its long-standing contributions to the sector’s development.
Zakynthos, Greece. Photo source: MSC Cruises
Koutsoukou also detailed the ministry’s strategic goals for balanced growth across all regional tourist markets. She pointed to available funding from the Recovery and Resilience Facility, which can be used to upgrade infrastructure on Zakynthos, both on land and at sea.
She described opportunities for investment, including marina upgrades, improvements in beach accessibility through semi-permanent structures, and the expansion of diving tourism, such as the creation of underwater parks and support for recreational scuba diving services.
Photo source: Tourism Ministry
Additionally, Koutsoukou discussed other EU funding programs, highlighting sectors like gastronomy and agrotourism, areas where Zakynthos has deep cultural traditions and where local authorities could benefit from further development.
She also touched on the ministry’s “Tourism for All” program, which subsidizes vacations for low-income individuals. According to Koutsoukou, by the end of September 2024, 674,000 euros had been allocated under this program to the Ionian Islands, with 86,000 euros —roughly 12.4 percent — directed specifically to Zakynthos.
The current phase of the “Tourism for All” program will continue until December 2024, with a third round set to be announced for 2025. Koutsoukou encouraged regional authorities to offer additional incentives to attract more participants to their areas through the program.
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