Greece's tourism sector seeks new spatial framework, says MP Katerina Spyritadaki

Member of Parliament Katerina Spyritadaki of PASOK – Movement for Change argued that Greece needs a new special spatial planning framework for tourism that serves as a national‑strategic tool rather than a simple set of land‑use restrictions. Speaking at an open political event organized by the Heraklion regional committee of PASOK and a local island organization, she said the real question is not whether a new plan is required but what kind of plan the country needs.

Spyritadaki criticised the government’s draft for trying to organise tourism spatially without a preceding national development model, warning that “the tool cannot precede the purpose” and “the map cannot precede the vision.” She stressed that different regions face distinct pressures – over‑concentration, the need for a tourism identity, protection, investment and infrastructure – and that any spatial plan must recognise these differences.