Greece could gain 2 billion euros yearly using natura sites for tourism

Athens: Greece could reap some 2 billion euros ($2.21 billion) annually and create 15,000 jobs if it used lands in the European Union’s Natura program for tourism although they are protected by law, a study by the think tank DiaNEOSIS has found.

Some 25 percent of the country’s area is included and the report said developing just 40 percent of it could bring a bonanza, and that it could be done with environmentally friendly tourism programs.

With over 25 percent of Greece’s land area included in the EU’s Natura 2000 network, it is estimated that a modest tourism development of even 40 percent of this area could significantly boost Greece’s tourism market by billions of euros.

The study, conducted in collaboration with OFYPEKA, a government agency established in 2020 to oversee Natura 2000 areas in Greece, highlights the economic opportunities within these protected regions, said GTP Headlines.

Some of the sites include the Prespes Lakes, the Rodopi forests, and the sea park for the Monachus Monachus seal in the Sporades Islands, all of which are protected by both Natura 2000 and Greek law.

The report said they could be used for alternative tourism such as ecology, agriculture, and culture and could add measurably to local economies. Professor Paris Tsartas, a tourism development specialist, told the site that, “mild economic activity in Natura areas is likely to provide better incentives for their protection.”

It is estimated that spending 148.5 million euros ($163.88 million) for management of alternative tourism in the areas would reap big benefits. The budget for Natura areas in Greece for 2021-27 is 1,039.5 million euros ($1.15 million,) which includes funds for sustainable tourism development initiatives.

That is supported by the EU as well as regional funds and European structural and investment funds and it was estimated that total funding from Interreg programs and the EU’s new agricultural policy, could hit 7.7 billion euros ($8.5 billion) eventually.

Tourism in those areas, it was said, could come from visitor ticket purchases, similar to those at the Samaria Gorge and the Sporades Sea Park. Other potential sources of income include fees for organizing athletic or social events within Natura protected areas and the production and sale of local products on-site, the news site said.