Establishment of ΄Tourism and Business Committee΄ by North Corfu business owners
CORFU. It was agreed that this committee would meet at regular intervals, bringing forward ideas and actionable proposals.
Ahead of the tourist season and with the goal of making the Municipality of North Corfu functional, welcoming and hospitable both as a tourist destination and as a place of residence for its citizens, Nikos Hirdaris, Deputy Mayor of Tourism, Outreach, and Business, convened an initial meeting with a representative group of business owners and stakeholders to establish a "Tourism and Business Committee" for the Municipality of North Corfu.
Attendees included:
- Yiannis Provatas, former Mayor, tourism business owner, and member of the Board of Directors of DEYAVK
- Spyros Rokas, hotelier and Vice President of the Corfu Hoteliers Association
- Pericles Katsaros, President of the Corfu Federation of Tourist Accommodation Owners and member of the Chamber of Corfu's Administrative Committee
- Kostas Sarakinos, owner of a travel agency and car rental business
- Dimitris Perros, tourism business owner
- Kostas Koskinas, business owner and hotelier
- Spyros Kaloudis, business owner (Corfu Beer)
- Vassilis Bardis, restaurateur
- Eleni Kourkoulu, hotelier
- Sofronios Splagounias, tourism business owner
- Giorgos Katsaros, tourism business owner
- Nikos Vergetis, restaurateur
- Petros Psoromytis, beach rental operator
- Yiannis Varelis, member of the Board of Directors of ESAK (primary sector)
- Vassilis Koutsouris, representing Kassios Dias (sports)
- Alexandra Brimba, representing the cultural sector.
The purpose of this committee, among other things, will be:
- Providing advisory support to the Municipal Authority on matters related to sustainable tourism development and business.
- Proposing initiatives for the development of low-key, thematic forms of tourism.
- Highlighting the connection between tourism and the primary sector, sports, culture, manufacturing and local gastronomy.
- Supporting business, with an emphasis on innovation, youth entrepreneurship, and female entrepreneurship.
- Showcasing the region’s comparative advantages, protecting the environment, and ensuring the rational management of natural resources.
- Identifying general and specific infrastructure-related issues.
Committee members received a detailed briefing from the responsible Deputy Mayors—Spyridoula Kokkali, Yiannis Garnelis, Fanis Skemptis, Haris Koutsouris, Theodoros Mavronas, and Nikos Hirdaris—on the Municipality’s actions, initiatives, and planning across all sectors. A highly constructive discussion followed, with contributions from all attendees.
It was agreed that this committee will meet regularly, bringing forward ideas and actionable proposals. Tourism is a key driver of the region’s most critical developmental and social issues. The Municipal Authority seeks to engage in open, democratic, participatory, and sincere discussions with tourism business owners and professionals. This engagement will take place through the committee—after all, without them, there is no tourism.
ELENI KORONAKI
