New Forms of Tourism Development

Although the Mediterranean countries –Spain,Portugal, Italy, Malta, Cyprus, Tunisia, Maroco, Turkey—combine vacations with rich cultural and historic past,  unfortunately, they have identified with as countries for holidays offering the three ‘S’ (Sand, Sun, Sea) and were a fourth is added S (Sex), Khader B. . The image of Mediterranean is that of a region dominated by cheap mass tourism and environmental problems .Thus it is natural that high income tourists are deterred.
In addition to the above, Tour-Operators policies control demand and supply.
The Research and Development Department (KEΠΕ, 1994) under the hospices of the Greek National Organization (EOT) concluded the following: In the frame of mass tourism dominance, cultural resources either constitute the principal element of cultural movements (cultural tourism combined with agrotourism) or make up a subsection of mass tourism package. From this follows that special –new types of tourism such as cultural tourism, eco-tourism, agritourism, educational, conferences etc, do not replace the mass tourism but they complement, enrich, widen, and differentiate the tourist product, responding to the respective growing demand. Actually, the Development law (N. 2601/98, ΦΕΚ 81/A15-4-98) gives emphasis on the reinforcement of tourism investments aiming to the quality improvement of the Greek tourist product and also the utilization of alternative forms of tourism
According to Ayres (2000) the tourist product and the tourist market are expected to become increasingly segmented. New competing destinations are emerging and there is the growth of alternative forms of tourism. Prosser (1994) sees tourism as a fashion industry.
Τhe new types of tourism have as a common characteristic the decentralization and removal of tourist activities from the seashore to the mainland and therefore the development of poor regions. According to last study of the Bank of Greece the Agriculture in Greece has decreased ,significantly, 41% or ……433.000 farmers between 1983 and 2001.The Minister of Agriculture stressed in Mouthia, Spain that main aim of the European Union must be sustainable development( economic, social ,ecological) Σteryiou D.,(8/5/2002)

The new types of tourism have the following advantages:

v Reorganization of agriculture (primary sector) in remote regions
v Job creations
v Development of parallel economic activities
v Increase of the principal and supplementary income
v Better quality of life and education
v Decrease of seasonality
v Dynamic presence in international tourist market
v Increase in tourist capacity in beds
v Relief in terms of social and infrastructure side in peak season.
v Improvement of viability of tourist investments

The preservation and exhibition of cultural heritage, the utilization of existent hotel capacity and of the special tourist infrastructure with parallel improvement and upgrading of services, are necessary conditions for the support and promotion of new types of tourism.

The main alternatives types of tourism according to the following table 2 are

SOCIAL TOURISM
LEISURE TOURISM
CULTURAL TOURISM
EDUCATIONAL TOURISM
PROFESSIONAL TOURISM
HEALTH TOURISM
SPORT TOURISM
CITY TOURISM
CONFERENCE TOURISM
ADVENTURE TOURISM
FAMILLY TOURISM
COSMOPOLITAN
TOURISM
SENIOR CITIZEN TOURISM
WINTER TOURISM
AGRITOURISM
MARINE TOURISM
TIMESHARING TOURISM
RELIGIOUS TOURISM
ECO-TOURISM

Source: Igoumenakis, Ν.(1997), Τourism Economy, 1, 2nd ed., Interbooks Publications, Αthens, p. 157.