Spatial planning theories, principles and paradigms for tourism activity: the greek experience and practice

Abstract

Tourism is a mutli-dimensional phenomenon that has been approached from a range of sciences. Τhis paper focuses on the spatial dimension of tourism, by examining theoretical aspects of spatial planning and development. The ultimate scope of the paper is to reach conclusions regarding the degree of integration of tourism spatial planning theories in the case of Greece. To this end, the paper evaluates Greek legislation regarding the tourism infrastructures, as well as the Greek National Plan for Tourism with regards to the spatial model it adopts for tourism development in Greece. The paper argues that the newly approved National Plan for Tourism did not address the chronic problems of Greek tourism development. Its spatial provisions fail to reverse the linear development of tourism along the coastline, in favor of a more balanced and polycentric distribution throughout the country. Respectively, latest reformations of tourism legislation for the upgrade of tourism facilities, threaten the power of spatial planning by giving the ability to tourism planners to decide on non-tourism matters, such as the development of the residential land-use inside tourism resorts. As a result, the chance of Greece to adopt a spatially innovative tourism model is transferred in future attempts.