*by Nikos Petasis
“Such a sustainable tourism model has been followed in recent years by the traditional Myrtos of Ierapetra, where there is no five-star hotel unit that works with the all-inclusive system.”
Tourism is a multi-spectral phenomenon, which has a direct impact on areas that exhibit tourist activity, both on the economy and society, as well as on their environmental and cultural characteristics. Sustainable tourism is the one that has managed to develop to the absolute extent all forms of the social and economic life of a place. Such a model has been applied for many years by the small community in the Municipality of Ierapetra.
“Such a sustainable tourism model has been followed in recent years by the traditional Myrtos of Ierapetra, where there is no five-star hotel unit that works with the all-inclusive system. Here, all the hotels are small and most of them are family-run. There are also many rental apartments, as well as villas that are rented through short-term rental platforms. This system allows us to have many jobs in local businesses and therefore zero unemployment. It ensures us work and clientele in taverns, restaurants, pizzerias, coffee bars, mini and supermarkets, convenience stores, butchers and generally in all commercial and other tourist shops. We worked with this system this year as well. Tourism in Myrtos during the current season that is continuing has recorded an increase of over 10% in hotels and rooms to rent, while all the shops in the village have achieved an increase in their turnover. “This would not have been achieved if we had large tourist units that worked with the all-inclusive system, which limits the economic horizons of a small society and economy,” said to neakriti.gr, the president of the local community of Myrtos, Mr. Alekos Pantelakis.
Tourism development with proper bases
Tourism development, with the right foundations and appropriate restrictions, can be the most important economic activity of a region, but also a key aid in the preservation and promotion of its natural and cultural resources. In Greece, tourism is a key pillar of the state’s economy, which makes its integrated management necessary, especially at an environmental level. Tourism is a multidimensional industry and is not limited to its economic or social dimension. For this reason, the division of its categories can be constantly differentiated.
Tourism, based on who travels, from and to which direction, is divided into various categories. Domestic tourism: It is the tourism of residents of a country, who travel only within it. Outbound tourism: it is the tourism of permanent residents of a country, who travel only outside it. Inbound tourism: It concerns the tourism of foreign residents who travel to a country. National tourism: It concerns the total of domestic and outbound tourism. International tourism: It is the sum of inbound and outbound tourism. Internal tourism: It is the sum of domestic and inbound tourism.
The definition of sustainable development is intertwined with sustainability, that is, the continuous and uninterrupted maintenance of the quality of the prism, economy – environment – culture. In modern times, the term sustainability does not concern exclusively the environment, but an effort is made to maintain the balance between economy, society, cultural elements and the environment. Thus, unbreakable bonds are created in the relationships between the factors, in order to preserve their eternal coexistence over time.
The first official definition of sustainability was given in the 1980s by the former Prime Minister of Norway, Gro-Harlem Brundtland, who at that time served as President of the World Commission on Environment and Development, which was founded at the beginning of the decade. This committee was created because environmental problems began to become apparent, as it was also understood that natural resources are not inexhaustible and the carrying capacity of the earth cannot cover the ever-increasing trend of economic development forever. In 1987, in her report entitled “Our Common Future”, Brundtland defined Sustainable Development as: “sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. In 1992, in Rio de Janeiro, the United Nations Conference on Development and the Environment took place, where the integration of the concept of sustainable development into the policies of countries was deemed necessary, since this concept was now commonly accepted. A decisive role in the implementation of sustainable development policies is played by the summit of states, on the subject of land protection, the result of which is the establishment of Agenda 21. This agenda deals with the integration of sustainability into the policies and actions of states for economic development for the 21st century and thus achieves the synthesis of strategies that directly link the economy, society and the environment with the aim of development, but without burdening any of the above pillars of the prism.
In the following decades, Sustainable Development began to be established in the policies of states, since it plays a primary role in the direction indicated by the United Nations in cooperation with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
Source: neakriti.gr
