Castoria tourism strategy discussed by Greek officials

Greek Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni and Deputy Minister Anna Karamanli met with local officials in Castoria to discuss strategic plans for year-round tourism development. The discussions focused on leveraging the region's natural, cultural, and productive assets, including Lake Castoria, the Grammos and Vitsi mountains, Byzantine heritage, and local gastronomy.

To transform the area into a competitive destination, Vice Governor Dimitris Savvopoulos presented a memorandum outlining five strategic priorities:

• Upgrading the Vitsi Ski Center with a 10 million euro budget. • Increasing the utilization of the Castoria ‘Aristotelis’ Airport. • Constructing a road connection between Polykerasos and Nymfaio, budgeted at 9.5 million euros. • Implementing coordinated tourism promotion in collaboration with the Greek National Tourism Organization (EOT). • Including Western Macedonia in a specialized ‘Pass’ type enhancement program.

The primary objectives of these interventions are to increase visitor numbers and extend the average length of stay, positioning Castoria as both a standalone destination and a gateway to the wider Western Macedonia region.