A Strategy for a Sustainable Tourism Development of the Greek Island of Chios

Sustainable tourism development strategies are still a major challenge for less developed regions and localities, especially in European areas affected with the financial and refugee crisis as Greece. Furthermore, the growth... [ view full abstract ]

Sustainable tourism development strategies are still a major challenge for less developed regions and localities, especially in European areas affected with the financial and refugee crisis as Greece. Furthermore, the growth of massive tourism in European cities creates an opportunity for underdeveloped tourist destinations to become competitive. The Greek island of Chios has a diverse touristic potential from the Historical, Cultural and Archaeological Tourism to Nature and Mountains Tourism. It is an island with a vast production of olive oil, mastiha and other products, from where the tourists can also be involved. On the other hand, it faces several challenges in order to become a sustainable tourism destination: a small capacity airport, deficiency in infrastructure and facilities supporting the sector, lack of cooperation between stakeholders, weak public participation in tourism related with decision-making processes and lack of a shared vision and strategy for the sector. The aim of this research is to contribute to the development of a draft of a Sustainable Destination Management Plan for the island of Chios, applying an action-research approach based on a three-month internship at the local municipality done by one of the authors. The research involved a serious of different steps: a preliminary diagnostic phase, a stakeholder consultation phase and preparatory phase to define a first draft of the plan. The first visible difficulty was the lack of statistical data supporting information for the next steps of the process. Nevertheless, 30 indicators were selected, based on the four pillars of sustainability. In order to acquire further statistical data three questionnaires had been drafted to apply in the future to the local community, to tourists and to stakeholders directly and indirectly connected with the tourism sector. The following steps were conducting interviews with key stakeholders and visiting selected touristic facilities to develop a preliminary participative SWOT analysis. The final step was focused on the preparation of a sustainable development vision and a draft of the Action Plan based on 19 strategical actions to discuss a later stage with the key stakeholders involved. Along these lines, Chios would apply actions to create employment; promote attraction and worldwide recognition; increase competitiveness; combat seasonality; protect local resources; manage the impacts of tourism; involve local community and the various stakeholders in decision-making processes; protect the cultural heritage and, finally, provide an authentic experience for visitors. The results of the steps taken showed a destination of potential growth and increased competitiveness and attractiveness for foreigners that would benefit from the establishment of a participatory strategy to the plan and manage the sector while trying to support the sustainable development of the island. Keywords: Sustainable Tourism Development; Tourism Planning; Stakeholders participation; Community Involvement