Participation of the Director of the MSc “Religious and Pilgrimage Tourism”, Professor of the Department of Social Theology and Christian Culture of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Ms Kyriakoula Papadimitriou, at the Panhellenic Conference “Lemnos and Cultural Tourism: a special look at the development prospects of the alternative category of tourism for Lemnos, the North Aegean and Greece”. The Conference was organized by the Association “Friends of ANZAC” and its President, Mr. Stelios Mantzaris, and took place from 28 to 30 June 2024 at Varos Village Boutique Hotel in Lemnos.

More than 25 academics, scientists and tourism experts from all over Greece, highlighted the important prospects that are emerging for our country through special forms of tourism and discussed the possibility of developing Lemnos as a new real model of cultural tourism. The Director of the MSc “Religious and Pilgrimage Tourism”, Professor Kyriakoula Papadimitriou, presented the topic “The potential of Religious and Pilgrimage Tourism for local development. Promotion and utilization of its comparative advantages” and suggested ways of promoting religious tourism in Lemnos. Among other things, he proposed the creation of thematic tourism, which, with religious and pilgrimage tourism as its main focus, will include alternative forms of alternative tourism, such as historical and museum tourism, folklore and cultural tourism, educational tourism, environmental tourism, along with gastronomic and general leisure tourism.

The conference was held under the auspices of the Ministries of Culture, Shipping and Island Policy, and Tourism, the Greek National Tourism Organisation (GNTO), the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels and the Association of Hotel Owners of Lemnos.