By unanimous decision of the Board of Directors, the Central Union of Municipalities of Greece (KEDE) approves the proposal for the creation of a special financial program to upgrade the country’s thermal springs, attempting to breathe new life into an inexhaustible, but neglected, pillar of thematic tourism.
The proposal, submitted by the Committee on Spa Tourism and Natural Resources, with its chairman and mayor of Delphi Panagiotis Tagkalis, as rapporteur, aims to:
restore and modernize facilities,
create new wellness infrastructure, utilize natural resources in a sustainable manner, and strengthen the local economy through spa tourism.
KEDE requests that the Ministry of Interior formulate a special invitation to include local authorities in the funding program, with the aim of ensuring a stable and distinct flow of resources. At the same time, the involvement of co-responsible ministries (Tourism, Health, Development) is planned, as well as the utilization of national and European resources (e.g., NSRF, Recovery Fund).
The president of KEDE, Lazaros Kyrizoglou, pointed out the need for institutional and financial support for the sustainable exploitation of thermal springs, emphasizing that thermal tourism can be a strategic pillar of development for many regions of Greece, especially in the periphery.
The next step is the official submission of the request to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, while KEDE declares its readiness to cooperate with any institutional body to accelerate the procedures and immediately activate the program.
