Dive Tourism in North Aegean, Greece: Potential and Prospects

Abstract

Alternative tourism signals a new era of tourism development and policy in Greece, especially for disadvantaged regions such as the Region of North Aegean. The dive industry is an attractive choice of investment given its significant market and the opportunities it provides for qualitative upgrading of tourism, entrance into new markets, and extension of the tourism season. However, the Region of North Aegean exhibits important deficiencies in infrastructure and human resources in order to develop dive tourism within an already highly competitive environment, both domestic and abroad. On the other hand, it possesses exploitable natural resources in relation to dive tourism and a very favorable funding environment for the development of alternative forms of tourism. The Region of North Aegean could succeed in gaining funding resources from the European Union (EU) and private investors by strengthening the dive industry's lobby in alternative tourism and using ample experience from similar groups worldwide. It should also decide on scale of investment and follow a business approach based on a management plan.