Wednesday, 3 February 2010
...Greece is the Land of History, the cradle of European civilization...Boasting a history stretching back almost 4,000 years, Greece is the Land of History, the cradle of European civilization. It is the country that produced giants in philosophy such as Socrates and Plato, leaders such as Pericles, Aristides and Themistocles, victorious army commanders such as King Philip of Macedonia and his son Alexander the Great. It is the land where the Cycladic, the Mycenean, the Minoan, the Spartan, the Macedonian, the Athenian and Corinthian civilizations thrived. This is the homeland of the legendary gods and goddesses, the prestigious Parthenon in Athens, the oracle of Delphi, where kings and notables from all over the ancient world came to consult Pythia's oracles and the Ancient Olympia where the first Olympic Games were held. With the complete predominance of Christianity, the Greeks became conscious of their national identity and laid the foundations of the later powerful Byzantine Empire. Byzantine civilization is considered to be a continuation of ancient Greek civilization with many Roman and Eastern influences. With its wealth of ancient monuments, fascinating museums and spectacular archaeological sites, such as Dion and Pella, Greece offers a unique opportunity for a historical adventure through the centuries, a chance to mentally relive myth, history and culture from classical times to our day. Numerous travel agencies organize splendid tours with archaeological interest, lectures by notable scholars, visits to excavation sites or meetings with local residents for participation in joint cultural events. |
Agrotourism is emerging at the right moment to cover the need of tired city-dwellers...
Agrotourism is emerging at the right moment to cover the need of tired city-dwellers...
Agrotourism started with the sole aim to improve the life of farmers especially in mountainous regions and in areas with a developing economy. Incentives provided with agrotourism have been successful in keeping the residents of such regions at home, therefore preventing depopulation of the countryside and at the same time the architectural heritage is preserved through the renovation of buildings, the regional cultural heritage is promoted, while the income of farmers is supplemented and improved.
Agrotourism is emerging at the right moment to cover the need of tired city-dwellers for a closer contact with nature, as well as with things and experiences long-forgotten, such as bread baking and traditional pastry-making, loom weaving, horse-back riding, a stroll in the forest, life at a tranquil pace.
It brings growth to local communities, assisting their economies to flourish and prosper, it facilitates the production of traditional products that would otherwise possibly vanish, mainly traditional products such as fruit preserves and jams, embroidery, the cultivation of aromatic herbs and pasta. It assists in the preservation of crafts that would otherwise perish with the last artisan, preserves human memory through the revival of customs and traditional festivities, offers a communication channel between regions isolated from the large population centres and provides life-long opportunities to local youth.
In Greece, a growing number of people are occupied with agrotourist activities; the number of traditional lodgings is continuously increasing and the country is rapidly becoming a top year-round agrotourism destination. Numerous villages throughout the country offer guesthouses built in the traditional style with comfortable, though simple accommodations; others boast a "holistic retreat" style of accommodation complete with organic gardens, bird sanctuaries and traditional "tavernas" serving their own home-grown produce.
The Greek government highly supports all agro-tourism programs applied in various areas throughout the country, including financial support for investment in agro-tourism and agro-handicraft activities.
READ ALL ABOUT GEOTOURISM!
The Geotourism Charter
Code of Ethics for Tourism and the Principles of the Cultural Tourism Charter established by the. International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS). ...
Geotourism is "best practice" tourism that sustains, or even enhances, the geographical character of a place, such as its culture, environment,heritage, and the well-being of its residents.
The concept was introduced publicly in a 2002 report by the Travel Industry Association of America (as of 2009 this organization adapted name to U.S. Travel Association) and National Geographic Traveler magazine.[1] National Geographic senior editor Jonathan B. Tourtellot and his wife, Sally Bensusen, coined the term in 1997 in response to requests for a term and concept more encompassing than ecotourism and sustainable tourism.[2]
Like ecotourism, geotourism promotes a virtuous circle whereby tourism revenues provide a local incentive to protect what tourists are coming to see, but extends the principle beyond nature and ecology to incorporate all characteristics that contribute to sense of place, such as historic structures, living and traditional culture, landscapes, cuisine, arts and artisanry, as well as local flora and fauna. Geotourism incorporatessustainability principles, but in addition to the do-no-harm ethic, geotourism focuses on the place as a whole. The idea of enhancement allows for development based on character of place, rather than standardized international branding, and generic architecture, food, and so on.
