CULTURAL TOURISM IN A GREEK INSULAR COMMUNITY: THE RESIDENTS’ PERSPECTIVE

Cultural tourism constitutes an alternative strategy of sustainable local development for improving quality of life. The main objective of this type of tourism is to transform the regions, which are characterized by cultural resources, into ideal places for vacation, residence or business. In this study the residents’ perceptions of cultural tourism were examined in a case study of a Greek island, Andros. It was found that the majority of the respondents were aware of the importance of cultural tourism and they argued that it could contribute to the island’s local development. The findings also suggested that there is a strong relationship between the respondents’ characteristics and their perceptions of the impacts of cultural tourism on the island’s development.alternative tourism, cultural tourism, cultural heritage, sustainable local development, Greece

Economic Sustainability of Tourism Enterprises: a Proposal of Criteria in the Hotels

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify economic sustainability criteria for hotel enterprises in order to operate smoothly and acheive sustainability in the long term.   Theoretical framework: Recent literature has reported important aspects of sustainability in the hotel industry. However, there is much more to be explored and applied mainly in the field of economic sustainability.   Design/methodology/approach: The study is based on literature review related to economic sustainability in the hotel industry.  For the purpose of the study indicators that can be applied in practice and highlight important conclusions are selected and enriched.   Findings: New economic sustainability criteria are proposed, such as healthy profitability ratio, financial stability ratio, room occupancy, income per guest, etc.   Research, Practical & Social implications: The study is expected to enrich theoretical advancements. The findings are also expected to enlighten economic sustainability criteria to help hotel enterprises generate positive societal and environmental outcomes.   Originality/value: New economic sustainability criteria are reported along with the need to fill the gap in the literature

Mergers of municipalities in Greek local government. An evaluation by means of a S.W.O.T. analysis

Σκοπός της συγκεκριμένης εργασίας είναι η κριτική προσέγγιση και η αξιολόγηση των μεταρρυθμίσεων για την τοπική αυτοδιοίκηση, οι οποίες συντελέστηκαν στην Ελλάδα κατά την τελευταία δεκαπενταετία. Στόχος των μεταρρυθμίσεων ήταν η δημιουργία ισχυρής τοπικής αυτοδιοίκησης, δηλαδή ισχυρών και αποτελεσματικών δήμων, ικανών να σχεδιάζουν και να υλοποιούν πολιτικές τοπικής ανάπτυξης, καθώς και να παρέχουν αποτελεσματικές και ποιοτικά αναβαθμισμένες υπηρεσίες στους πολίτες. Για την επίτευξη του σκοπού της εργασίας χρησιμοποιείται η μέθοδος της S.W.O.T. ανάλυσης, προκειμένου να εντοπιστούν τα πλεονεκτήματα και τα μειονεκτήματα, οι ευκαιρίες και οι απειλές του Προγράμματος «Καλλικράτης». Από τα αποτελέσματα της έρευνας προκύπτουν τα θετικά στοιχεία της μεταρρύθμισης, που τα κύρια είναι: η ενίσχυση της τοπικής αυτοδιοίκησης με νέες αρμοδιότητες και πόρους και επομένως η βελτίωση της αποτελεσματικότητάς της, η μείωση του λειτουργικού κόστους και η προώθηση της ενεργούς συμμετοχής των δημοτών στα κοινά, με την πραγματοποίηση των τοπικών δημοψηφισμάτων. Από την άλλη, προκύπτουν και απειλές για τη μεταρρύθμιση, που σχετίζονται με την ευρύτερη δυσμενή οικονομική συγκυρία, τις διαφωνίες των πολιτικών δυνάμεων για την ουσία της μεταρρύθμισης, τα όρια των νέων δήμων και τις ανάγκες σε προσωπικό.The aim of this paper is to evaluate the reforms in local government that took place in Greece during the last fi fteen years. The aim of the reforms was the creation of strong local government entities, i.e. powerful and effi cient local authorities, able to plan and implement local development policies, and to provide effective and qualitatively superior services to citizens. SWOT analysis is used in order to identify the advantages and disadvantages, opportunities and threats of the “Kallikrates” Program. Results indicate that the new reform offers to local government new powers and resources and therefore leads to improved effectiveness; reduced operating costs and promotion of the active participa tion of citizens in public affairs, by means of local referendums. However, there are also threats created for the reform, which are related to the broader fi nancial crisis, the disputes of political powers on the substance of the reform, the boundaries of new municipalities and the needs in personnel

CULTURAL TOURISM IN A GREEK INSULAR COMMUNITY: THE RESIDENTS’ PERSPECTIVE

Cultural tourism constitutes an alternative strategy of sustainable local development for improving quality of life. The main objective of this type of tourism is to transform the regions, which are characterized by cultural resources, into ideal places for vacation, residence or business. In this study the residents’ perceptions of cultural tourism were examined in a case study of a Greek island, Andros. It was found that the majority of the respondents were aware of the importance of cultural tourism and they argued that it could contribute to the island’s local development. The findings also suggested that there is a strong relationship between the respondents’ characteristics and their perceptions of the impacts of cultural tourism on the island’s development

Farmers Vocational Education and Training: The Case of Public Institutes of Vocational Training at ELGO-DIMITRA

The aim of this study was to investigate the current organizational climate of Public Vocational Education and Training Initiatives at ELGO-DIMITRA in Greece. It utilized a SWOT analysis to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the Institute’s programs. The findings indicate a need to ensure the quality of Vocational Education and Training Initiatives and enhance the educational services provided to young farmers by adopting a regularly updated framework. This study is crucial for future research, and it is important to replicate it with different focus groups, including trainers, trainees, and graduates, who can provide valuable insight into the sustainability of the Vocational Education and Training Initiatives