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DOSSIER GREECE - SAMOS -
INTERWIEVS TO THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES

Samos - Hotel Virginia

We spoke to the local authorities of to try to understand what is being done and what could be done to promote the island.

THE PREFECT, MANOLIS KARLAS

The peoples of Europe should fight together to create a common plan of life with man as the central figure. And this is possible for us too as there are many cultural connections between Greece and the rest of Europe The people of Samos have a true thirst for brotherhood and friendship and do not forget, for example, the excellent relationship they have always enjoyed with the Italians.
We hope to be able to create a kind of collaboration and assistance on the part of Europe towards our islands, for example with regard to infrastructure, communications and transport but without putting their environmental characteristics at risk. Especially our island, Samos, which is at the extreme border of Europe, needs to be given more consideration. On our side, we are ready to fight to cancel the differences with the other countries by enhancing our peculiarities.

A nymphaea in the garden of Villa Barbara a Psili Ammos (Samos)

THE MAYOR OF VATHY, KOSTANTINOS KARAMINAS

Vathy, the capital, Paleocastro, Kokkari, Agios Kostantinos, Vurliotes, Ambelos, Manolates, Stavrinides all belong to the municipality of Vathy. They are wonderful towns.
My job is to be close to the people, there are always day-to-day problems to be solved. This is a major responsibility. We are fighting so that the quality of life on our island can be satisfying for the entire population. Life on the island has its difficulties, mostly because we are far from the central government. And so we local administrators have to make our needs known to the government and ask help to solve our problems. Problems which should be eliminated concretely, above and beyond political ideologies. One of our objectives is that of making the island a vital destination throughout the year and not just in summer, when it attracts visitors for its maritime activities. The municipality of Vathy is working on drawing up a programme to this end. Samos can attract visitors for at least ten months a year, given the many resources which go from the mountains to trekking in the woods and from archaeology to spa holidays.

A beautiful lanscape towards Nissi

PRESIDENT OF THE SAMOS HOTELIERS ASSOCIATION, KOSTANTINOS KIRIAZIS

We control that the level of our member hotels is always the same and that there are no problems. The essential requisite for a good hotel is hygiene everywhere, including the swimming pool and then the service which must be on a par with the property. And the atmosphere is important too although this depends on where the hotel is located. Samos has many luxurious hotels with all modern comforts but also many traditional Greek hotels However none of them are very large, the biggest have sixty to a hundred rooms and this helps to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Many of our hotels have restaurants but clients like to change and so many of them go to a different restaurant every day to try all our different local specialities.

A particolar wiev of the Samos's Port

VICE PRESIDENT OF THE SAMOS HOTELIERS ASSOCIATION, BASILIOS LOUIZOS

We set up the Hoteliers Association which now has 130 members and our aim is to promote the island as a tourist destination both in Greece and abroad, also by taking part in international tourism fairs. Other Greek islands are more popular than Samos but we have seen that a lot of people who come to Samos then return again. Samos is decentered compared to the other islands and to Athens but its environmental characteristics, cultural attractions, way of life and hospitality are very different from other parts of Greece and make it very interesting for the tourist. Its particular constructions like the tunnel-aqueduct built by Efpalinos, for example, is quite unique and not to be found anywhere else in the world.
And so our task is not so much to promote our hotels but to make the peculiarities of our island known, offering people a reason to come here. You can find good hotels everywhere, what is important is the context in which they are to be found and the opportunities offered by the destination – this is what makes a person choose one place rather than another. Samos has wonderful natural attractions – woods, mountains and beaches, which differ from one part of the coast to another, and a mild climate. And the association, in collaboration with the local tourist board, promotes a wide range of day excursions so that visitors can enjoy as many different aspects as possible of this beautiful island and the nearby islands.