Georgios Tsantopoulos

Characteristics Of Tourism Development In Mountainous Regions Using Categorical Regression: The Case Of Metsovo (greece)

Leisure and tourism activities conceived as part of the developmental process of particular areas or regions can contribute to their economic growth to varying degrees of intensity so that they can be attainable and/or desirable. The exploitation of national resources is of great economic value in promoting tourism development in the provincial and underdeveloped areas of Greece. An evaluation of the factors that contribute to the growth of tourism in these regions would be useful in decision making and planning as far as their development is concerned. Such an interesting region from a tourism perspective, with many individual characteristics is the region of Metsovo, which belongs to Epirus, one of the poorest EU regions. However, Metsovo has recently presented a dynamic image since the region’s natural resources and rich cultural heritage (many Greek benefactors originated from here), along with its farming products with designation of origin, have created major prospects for the promotion of tourism. The present research was carried out using a structured questionnaire and cluster sampling involving visitors staying in local hotels. The collected data were elaborated using the SPSS v. 11.0 statistical program. Descriptive statistics and categorical regression were used to analyse the relevant data. The main conclusions have shown that the profile of visitors to Metsovo can be summarized using the following characteristics: relatively young, minimum secondary school graduates and belonging to the upper social classes ( judged by their profession). In addition, for more than half of the visitors the region of Metsovo is their permanent holiday location, primarily for relaxation purposes. The main problems that visitors face in the region of Metsovo relate to the lack of parking areas and cleanliness. Visitors with a higher level of education and/or income choose to visit Metsovo during public holidays or weekends; they also show a tendency to spend more money in comparison to the rest of the visitors. Finally, visitors who describe the surrounding countryside as nice or very nice are characterized by a higher professional and educational standing.

Facing and managing natural disasters in the Sporades islands, Greece

The region of the Sporades islands located in central Greece is at the mercy of many natural phenomena, such as earthquakes due to the marine volcano Psathouraand the rift of Anatolia, forest fires, floods, landslides, storms, hail, snowfall and frost. The present work aims at studying the perceptions and attitudes of the residents regarding how they face and manage natural disasters. A positive public response during a hazard crisis depends not only upon the availability and good management of a civil defense plan but also on the knowledge and perception of the possible hazards by the local population. It is important for the stakeholders to know what the citizens expect so that the necessary structures can be developed in the phase of preparation and organization. The residents were asked their opinion about what they think should be done by the stakeholders after a catastrophic natural disaster, particularly about the immediate response of stakeholders and their involvement and responsibilities at different, subsequent intervals of time following the disaster. The residents were also asked about the most common disasters that happen in their region and about the preparation activities of the stakeholders.

Mapping the Rural Problem and Development: What do Greek Landowners Think?☆

Abstract The adoption of alternative farming practices is regenerates production methods towards new directions, while comprises a new development path for less favoured areas (LFAs). Engaging in off-farm income generation activities can create new standards for employment, new professions and new midd le-c lass employees that will support development despite the downturn in trad itional agricultural activities. The present study examines the attitudes and perceptions of landowners regarding various options for rural development and the existence of alternative prospects for enhancing primary production, family income and, consequently, quality of life. Primary data were gathered through personally administered interviews (using a structured questionnaire) in the prefectures of Rodopi and Evros that were analyzed through multivariate data analysis methods. The results indicate the non-existence of significant d ifferences between the two regions. The majority of respondents consider the state and political parties as being responsible for environmental problems and they argue that future regional development may depend on agriculture and livestock production. Furthermore, most of them wish to engage in alternative crops like truffle, pomegranate and dogwood and the reasons behind such a decision are the competitive profile of and increased demand for such products, along with state subsidies.

Involving local people in sustainable rural development and conservation: a response to the economic crisis

This paper concerns the management and development of natural resources using citizens’ participation in decision-making procedures. The study examines the economic growth of gateway communities in the Amvrakikos Wetlands National Park with the use of a structured questionnaire and through personal interviews. Simple random sampling was used as a method. The case study constitutes an approach used to examine local people’s views concerning the various characteristics of the broader area, their living standards, as well as the sectors they wanted existing and future developments to be based upon. Through the research results, it is acknowledged that local people consider employment opportunities to be inadequate. They think that local development is based, partly, on the primary sector. Whereas, local people wish the primary sector to be enhanced along with the secondary, they want industry development and a tertiary sector, with the provision of services and tourism.

“Local peoples’” and “visitors’” views on infrastructure and services in protected areas: a case study from Evros, Greece

This case study attempts to explore “local peoples’” and “visitors’” views about the existing infrastructure and the availability of the services of the two National Parks of Evros Prefecture. The purpose of the research is to find out any potential deficiencies which might be influencing “local peoples’” lives and “visitors’” travel experience. The sustainable use of natural resources and tourism are crucial in the management of protected areas and National Parks. Sustainable development in such areas can only be achieved if the tourism infrastructure and related services are effectively managed. The results showed that local people are deemed to be stricter in their assessment of the existing infrastructure and services provided compared to the visitors in both areas. Although the structures of the tours and activities in the two National Parks are not similar, there were significant similarities in the visitors’ perceptions in both scenarios.

Farmers’ perceptions and attitudes towards the development of the sheep and goat sector in the Greek region of Evros

The present study endeavors to investigate the attitudes, opinions and perceptions of livestock farmers regarding the main problems they face and confine the development of livestock in the Greek region of Evros. Primary data were collected through a quantitative survey (structured questionnaire) with livestock farmers in the region. The analysis of the survey data was carried out with the use of descriptive statistics, Friedman’s test and factor analysis. The results indicate that strategies for livestock development in the region should take into account the great dissatisfaction that exists towards public authorities and the level of satisfaction as regards the non-governmental bodies. Furthermore, the economic objectives are of primary importance for livestock farmers, whereas they stress their interest in training and know-how. Particularly on issues pertaining to dairy livestock management, improving sanitation conditions and enhancing the quality, digestibility and production of animal feed.

Environmental problems in protected areas

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose an approach regarding the management measures for solving environmental problems in protected areas. Two neighboring protected areas with different features were chosen in order to investigate the similarity of the environmental problems with regard to these two areas and if it is possible for these problems to be solved through a network of protected areas. Design/methodology/approach – The research was carried out through the use of a questionnaire which was distributed to the inhabitants and visitors of both areas, as well as through interviews with the representatives of organizations responsible for the management and administration of those areas and representatives of the municipalities and the regional authorities these two national parks belong to. Simple random sampling was applied to the inhabitants and cluster sampling to the visitors. Findings – The results show that with regard to the visitors the most important problem is illegal hunting whi...

Effectiveness of Communication Strategies in Confronting Climate Change: The Views of the Citizens of Greece

The aim of this paper is to identify groups of citizens and their characteristics so that effective climate change communication strategies can be designed. The research was carried out from January 2014 to June 2015, 1536 questionnaires were completed which were evaluated on the basis of the co-efficient α-Cronbach, descriptive statistics, Friedman’s non-parametric criterion, factor analysis and cluster analysis. The research showed that Greek citizens think that the most important concerned parties for taking action against climate change are environmental organizations, scientists and local citizen environmental groups. In addition, two groups of citizens were identified. In the first group belong mostly citizens aged 31–40 and less citizens aged 41–50, married, mainly graduates of secondary and tertiary education, most are public servants or unemployed and satisfied from governmental activities regarding municipal projects concerning adaptation, energy saving and lifelong learning. In the second group of citizens also belong young to middle age citizens, unmarried, who mainly work in the public and private sector, who are satisfied both from the activities of non-governmental concerned parties as well as governmental activities regarding adaptation to extreme environmental phenomena, mitigation and waste management.

The Views of Citizens on the Issue of Participation in Confronting Climate Change: The Case of Greece

Climate change no longer constitutes a prediction for the future but it is already occurring. For this reason what is necessary is both the adaptation of citizens to new changes as well as action by the scientific community and by the bodies involved in the fight against climate change. Thus, the bodies will need to organize and undertake effective action which will encourage citizens to participate in such actions in order to adapt to future impacts. The aims of this research are, on the one hand, the investigation of the characteristics which influence participation in activities and, on the other hand, the discovery of specific characteristics with regard to citizen preferences. In order to achieve its aims this research used a structured questionnaire and 1536 questionnaires were collected from January 2014 to June 2015. The main results include that younger citizens greatly trust scientists, show great willingness for voluntary action and get their information on climate change through documentaries. Also, those with higher educational level trust the actions of non-governmental bodies while middle aged citizens and secondary education graduates trust the actions of governmental bodies while older citizens prefer activities for the reduction of pollutants.

Climate Change and Renewable Energy: Opinions and Emotions of Elementary School Pupils in the Prefecture of Evros

Climate change is one of the most serious contemporary problems of our planet. Efforts to reduce the impact of climate change are crucial. The consequences of rising global temperatures will be very serious for humans and the environment unless urgent action is taken everywhere to reduce emissions. Renewable energy is very important in mitigating global greenhouse gas emissions by radically lowering the emissions profile of the planet’s energy system. In addition, beyond the use of renewable energy sources, the materialization of a sustainable energy future also requires citizen participation in decision making processes. For this purpose all bodies responsible for the realization of a sustainable future, such as schools and means of mass communication, need to equip people with the knowledge, attitudes and skills they need to successfully deal with the challenges in front of them. The aim of this chapter is to investigate the opinions and emotions of elementary school pupils with regard to climate change and renewable sources of energy. For the collection of data a semi-structured questionnaire and cluster sampling were used and 632 questionnaires were completed by pupils of 5th grade (aged 11) and 6th grade (aged 12) in 17 elementary schools in the Prefecture of Evros. The research was carried out in May and June 2016. The results of the research showed that 56.5% of the pupils think that in order to deal successfully with many environmental problems, the use of renewable sources of energy is very important. In particular, boys as opposed to girls, think that renewable energy sources play a key role in dealing with environmental problems, and 5th grade pupils think that renewable energy sources are very important for the protection of the natural environment, as opposed to 6th grade pupils who think otherwise. The investigation with regard to the emotions of pupils as far as the issue of climate change is concerned, revealed that what most pupils feel, is interesting with regard to how this matter will evolve. Also, from the two factors extracted the first contains “positive emotions” and the second “negative emotions”. In the first factor belong the variables concern, fear and interest and in the second factor belong the variables pessimism, anger and anxiety. Finally, almost one in three pupils usually or always expresses his concern regarding the consequences of climate change, is not at all optimistic about climate change and usually or always expresses the anxiety he feels regarding the various dimensions of the issue. In addition, regarding the impacts of climate changes one in two pupils feels fear or anger.