The need to end horizontal policies that ignore local specificities was underlined by Anargyros Sofios, member of the Tourism Development Committee of the Central Union of Municipalities of Greece (KEDE), during the recent meeting of the Committee chaired by Mr. Antonis Kampourakis.
The meeting focused on the assessment of the 2025 tourist season, the readiness of municipalities for the new challenges, as well as the critical issue of the sustainability of local communities. Below is his statement:
«On Tuesday 28/04 the Tourism Development Committee of the Central Union of Municipalities of Greece, of which I have the honour to be a member, met with Mr. Antonis Kampourakis as its chairman.
During the meeting, critical issues concerning the present and future of tourism development in the country's municipalities were discussed, with emphasis on both the assessment of the 2025 tourist season and the readiness of local communities to respond to the increasing challenges.
In my statement, which I asked to be forwarded to the Central Administration, I highlighted a long-standing pathogenesis of the Greek state: the implementation of horizontal policies that ignore the specificities of each region.
I stressed that there cannot be a single approach for all municipalities when their characteristics, needs and tourism product differ so strongly. I cited as typical examples the Municipalities of Sparta and Santorini, with whose Mayors we sit on the same committee, and I contrasted them with Kythera. These are three completely different destinations, with different physiognomy, dynamics and challenges, which makes it impossible to implement common tourism development policies. A matter on which the fellow elected representatives present agreed.
I made particular reference to a worrying conclusion from the 2025 assessment. The continuing decline in the resident population in many areas. An issue that is directly linked to the sustainability of local communities and requires targeted, flexible and locally tailored interventions.
Tourism development cannot be planned in terms of a «one-size-fits-all solution». It needs decentralisation of decision-making, trust in local government and policies that reflect the reality of each place individually.».
