On September 20, 2023, at the Zappeion Megaron, the Local Government Awards ceremony was held for innovative projects implemented during the period 2019-2023. The Municipality of Kythira won 1ο Economic Development Award for the Kythera Trails sustainable tourism program and 2ο award for its work on water supply telemetry.
The Kythira Foundation for Culture and Development (KIPA) and the Mediterranean Institute for Nature and Man (MedINA) express their satisfaction that an initiative launched by KIPA some 14 years ago is now recognized not only as a model of sustainable tourism development, but also as a tool for economic growth.
This is the third consecutive award for the Kythira Trails. Last year, the program won the top platinum distinction at the prestigious Greek Tourism Awards 2022 and the bronze award in the Sports & Adventure Destination category. The Kythira Trails were the first in Europe to be certified by the World Trails Network and received the corresponding green flag in 2019.
Since 2017, the Municipality of Kythira, the Local Property of Kythira and Antikythira, and MedINA have been supporting the KIPA initiative. We are currently in the second phase of the thematically expanded Memorandum of Cooperation between the four entities, which will remain in force until 2026.
All these years, KIPA has been the organization that has supported the development of the trail network with every means at its disposal, directing all its financial resources, but also seeking out and raising awareness among large and small sponsors. It has provided space and logistical infrastructure, helped and supported volunteers and workers, and organized the development of the network in every way possible.
The program does not stop there, as the study for Phase II of the trail network is ready, with seven new routes totaling 68 kilometers in length. This study documented the exceptional potential of Kythira in terms of old traditional trails, discovering cobbled paths, bridges, wetlands, Byzantine churches, caves, fossils, and much more. At the same time, mountain biking trails are being completed and efforts will be made to develop special themed trails. The main goal is to enrich the existing network of trails to the maximum extent possible, highlighting the amazing variety of landscapes and the cultural wealth of Kythira.
This award, as stated by the President of KIPA at the award ceremony, is dedicated to the people of Kythira who embraced the program and contributed, each to the best of their ability, to its realization.
