PASOS Revista de Turismo y Patrimonio Cultural (Jan 2006)
Tidal wave phenomenon as a lever of tourist development in Greece-Halkis case
Abstract
Tourist season in Halkis is nowadays limited to the three summer months offering a resort for weekend tourists (Athens-Halkis). Halkis is given the opportunity to improvise and illustrate its cultural and historical elements that constitute her uniqueness by establishing a local development programme that would include alternate tourism forms. This proposal regarding the tourist development of Halkis through tidal phenomena is primarily an alternative tourist development model. It differs from current development standards characterized by inequality, environmental and cultural degradation. This is based on the assumption that proposing an alternative tourism form in Halkis would lead to the initiation and exploitation of factors that are disregarded nowadays, that could ignite the tourist rebirth of this area. The creation of new employment positions and the amelioration of life conditions in this town could prevent the constant escape of the vital work-force to Athens and Piraeus. The success of the tourist development through the tidal phenomenon can be considered either a complete solution or an alterna-tive model. This may be unique from the tourist aspect, as the tidal phenomenon of Euripus could be the attraction pole, for a great number of people because this tourist forms (observation of a unique yet in-teresting natural phenomenon) is contradictory to luxury. Simultaneously, the Mediterranean nutrition could be co-depicted, by offering the opportunity to the tourist to become more intimate with local prod-ucts. This would help people understand the importance of Euripus tidal phenomenon for the tourist development of Halkis