When is Corfu finally going to set up a DMO?

Specialists have drawn up two Destination Management pilot programmes for Rhodes and Santorini with the study being funded by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The tourist destination Corfu has been 'chewing it over' for at least five years (although some will say it was proposed a lot earlier than that) and the Corfu Tourism conferences last year and the year before stressed that this was a main priority.

The Ionian Islands Regional Administration organised a meeting at the Chamber of Commerce on Monday morning at which those who had undertaken the study and other specialists presented the advantages of such a programme - leading to serious reflection and discussion from those present. However, the matter of setting up a Destination Management Organisation (DMO) here was put off to another more specialised meeting as it wasn't the subject of Monday's seminar.

The method

The speakers presented the Destination Management model, which provides sound and solid answers to tourism issues. In reality, for a location such as Corfu, which completely depends economically on this industry, directly and indirectly, it is a management model for the town and the whole region.

It is clear that a model of collaborative management is required between the local and regional authorities, organisations and businesses like that which already exists in most European cities - from which Corfu can select the best practices and 'copy-paste'! After all, most, if not all, of the speakers at the meeting have a rich portfolio of work they have done for countries and popular destinations around the world which can be used as examples for the development of Corfu tourism.

Even just looking at the main principles on the websites for the pilot programmes in Rhodes and Santorini can give clear material for analysis and development: At what point is the destination today and where would we like it to be in ten years? How are we going to get there? This is accompanied by organised and regular monitoring of the process so that adjustments can be made. Is this 'too good to be true' for Corfu?

The speakers

According to the Ionian Islands Regional Administration, the presentations were made by a consortium of consultants from the UK and Greece. The EBRD representative in Greece Giorgos Maltezos talked about the need for training in destination management planning. The programme was presented firstly by a representative from the company Toposophy followed by the managing director of TEAM Tourism Consulting Dr. Roger Carter.

The managing director of Yellow Railroad Ltd Tom Buncle said that the recommended actions and vision for the development of destinations is entering a new period of promotion and management with the implementation of a more holistic approach.

Attendees

Amongst those attending the seminar were:

Nikos Mouzakitis - Regional Council President
Dimitris Milios - Regional Executive Secretary
Melita Andrioti - Deputy Regional Governor for Corfu
Alexandros Alexakis - Deputy Regional Governor for Business and Competition
Konstantinos Zorbas - Deputy Regional Governor for Social Welfare, Public Health & Employment
Spyros Ioannou - Deputy Regional Governor for Environment, Energy & Town Planning
Manolis Orfanoudakis - Deputy Regional Governor for Infrastructure & Technical Works
Meropi Ydraiou - Mayor of Central Corfu & Diapontia Islands
Panayiotis Varouchas - Deputy Mayor for Tourism
Konstantinos Grigoropoulos - North Corfu Municipal Council President
Representatives from the Regional Tourism Department
Haralambos Voulgaris - Corfu Hoteliers' Association President
Spyros Rokkas - Corfu Hoteliers' Association Vice-President
Nikos Hirdaris - Corfu Chamber of Commerce Vice-President
Theodoros Pagratis - Corfu Economic Chamber President
Konstantinos Kitsakis - OEBEK President