On the occasion of his interview with Days of Art in Greece, Ioannis Nikas, Director of the MSc in “Tourism Destination and Business Management” at the University of Patras, discusses issues related to contemporary tourism education, the importance of a scientific approach to destination and business management, as well as the challenges posed by tourism at the national and international levels. At the same time, it highlights Patras’s status as a unique urban destination of historical, cultural, and spatial interest, as well as a living field of study and application for the program’s students.

During the discussion, Mr. Nikas points out that the master’s program combines management, marketing, strategic destination development, new technologies, and data management, with the goal of training professionals capable of meeting the needs of an ever-changing industry. It also emphasizes that overtourism is not a problem inherent to tourism itself, but rather one of inadequate management, while placing particular emphasis on linking mathematics and information systems to the forecasting, analysis, and planning of tourism development, through a more evidence-based and sustainable development model.

Days of Art in Greece: Mr. Nikas, you direct the MSc in “Tourism Destination and Business Management.” Tell us about the program’s curriculum. How much does our country need well-trained graduate students in the field of tourism? How does the city of Patras, with its strategic location as a hub connecting the Ionian Islands, the Peloponnese, the Argosaronic Gulf, and Attica—and with its rich commercial past in raisin production and its unique urban carnival—serve as a unique model for tourism?

Ioannis Nikas: The University of Patras’s MSc in “Tourism Destination and Business Management” is designed to comprehensively address the contemporary realities of tourism. The program combines knowledge of the economics and management of tourism businesses, marketing, and strategic destination development with contemporary approaches such as sustainable destination management, visitor experience management, and alternative forms of tourism. At the same time, special emphasis is placed on big data management and new technologies, so that students acquire the tools to make informed decisions in a highly competitive environment.

The need for this type of specialized professionals is particularly great. Tourism is one of the main pillars of the Greek economy, and its sustainable development requires professionals who can combine management, technology, and strategic destination planning.

Patras is a particularly interesting example of an urban destination with significant growth potential. Its geographical location makes it Greece’s gateway to Western Europe via its port, and historically it has been one of the country’s most important commercial centers, particularly during the era of the raisin trade. At the same time, it possesses a strong cultural identity, highlighted by the Patras Carnival, as well as contemporary forms of cultural expression. A prime example is the international ArtWalk festival, which has transformed many of the city’s neighborhoods into a large-scale open-air museum of murals, attracting prominent artists and visitors from around the world.

Within this context, Patras—and Western Greece more broadly—serves as a living laboratory for the students in our master’s program to study and design tourist destinations, where theoretical knowledge can be directly linked to the real economy and the region’s development.

D.A.: Some people blame overtourism for easy wealth, the gradual decline of Europe, the decline of the knowledge economy, the overexploitation of common resources, and the breakdown of social cohesion. What is your personal opinion?

I.N.: The term “overtourism” has emerged globally in recent years as a major issue for the development of tourist destinations. In some cases, particularly in large cities or popular island destinations, an excessive concentration of visitors can indeed place strain on infrastructure, the environment, and the daily lives of local communities.

However, in my opinion, the issue is not tourism itself, but the way in which destination development is planned and managed. In the modern scientific approach, we do not merely examine the number of visitors or the increase in arrivals, but rather seek a balance between economic development, social cohesion, and the protection of a place’s resources.

Today we have tools that did not exist in the past. Modern decision-support systems can help us understand current and future tourism flows, relieve pressure on overburdened areas, and promote new destinations. At the same time, the online accounts of experiences that visitors share through social media and review platforms allow us to understand their behavior and expectations much better. In this way, smart and sustainable destination management can foster a dynamic tourism ecosystem that evolves in a balanced manner.

The real challenge, then, is not to restrict tourism, but to plan it using scientific tools, data, and strategy so that it creates value for both visitors and local communities.

D.A.: You hold a Ph.D. in “Computational Mathematics and Computer Science.” How do you connect mathematics with the development of the tourism market? What are the decision-making centers in our country regarding the development of the tourism industry? Is there a convergence of goals and direction?

I.N.: At first glance, mathematics and tourism may seem like two different worlds. In reality, however, more and more “hard sciences” are being combined, creating the scientific toolkit necessary for understanding and planning modern tourism development.

Tourism generates a large volume of data: visitor arrivals, accommodation occupancy rates, travel patterns, consumption of services, as well as digital traces generated by booking platforms, social media, and online reviews. Through mathematical models and modern computational methods, such as machine learning and artificial intelligence, we can analyze this information and gain a deeper understanding of the tourism phenomenon. In this way, tourism is increasingly viewed as a complex system that can be analyzed and planned using scientific tools.

The spatial dimension of tourism is also of particular importance. Through spatial intelligence techniques and tools, tourist flows, points of interest in an urban destination, the routes visitors take, and the distribution of activities across the area take on meaning and can be systematically studied. This allows us to better understand how a destination functions within its spatial context and to design more balanced and sustainable tourism environments.

As far as decision-making bodies are concerned, the development of tourism in Greece is shaped by a multi-level system. At the national level, the Ministry of Tourism and the organizations that formulate national strategy play an important role. At the same time, however, the role of the regions, municipalities, chambers of commerce, and tourism businesses themselves is particularly decisive, as they often shape a destination’s identity and direction in practice.

The goal is to achieve greater convergence between scientific knowledge, public policies, and business practice. The use of data and the development of “systems of understanding” regarding the spatial dynamics and carrying capacity of destinations can contribute to more evidence-based and effective tourism planning in our country.

“The real challenge, then, is not to restrict tourism, but to plan it using scientific tools, data, and strategy so that it creates value for both visitors and local communities.”

D.A.: What does the capability of “Tourism Forecasting” through Information Systems mean? What are the forecasts for the coming period in the global tourism industry, and what are the implications?

I.N.: The ability to make predictions in tourism involves trying to understand in a timely manner how the tourism sector will evolve in the future. Through information systems, statistical models, and modern computational methods, we can analyze data from many different sources, such as visitor arrivals, bookings, transportation, economic and environmental indicators, as well as digital narratives of experiences, and formulate projections for a destination’s future trajectory.

These forecasts are particularly important because they allow businesses and public agencies to plan their infrastructure, investments, and development strategies with greater precision. In other words, forecasting serves as a tool that helps us move beyond simply reacting to events toward a more proactive and strategic approach to tourism planning.

Globally, most estimates indicate that tourism will continue to grow in the coming years, despite geopolitical and economic uncertainties. At the same time, however, the characteristics of demand are changing. Travelers are increasingly seeking authentic experiences, are more interested in sustainability issues, and are showing greater sensitivity to environmental concerns and quality of life at the destinations they visit.

In this context, forecasting tourism demand is increasingly linked to broader sustainable development planning. A better understanding of tourism flows can help protect natural and cultural resources, manage the carrying capacity of destinations, and create more resilient local economies. These principles are also directly linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which recognize tourism as a key sector for economic growth, social cohesion, and environmental protection.

The challenge for the coming period is not only to forecast how many visitors will come to a destination, but to understand how these flows can be shaped in a way that supports more balanced and sustainable tourism development on a global scale.

D.A.: What is considered “smart tourism”? Could you tell us a little about your research interests?

I.N.: The term “smart tourism” describes the use of digital technologies, data, and modern information systems to improve both the visitor experience and the management of tourist destinations. Today, destinations generate and collect a massive volume of data from various sources: visitor movements, reservations, reviews on platforms, social media posts, or geospatial information about a city’s points of interest. Leveraging this information allows us to better understand how a destination functions and how visitors interact with it.

In this sense, a modern tourist destination can be viewed as a data ecosystem, where different sources of information are combined to support policy planning, business operations, and the visitor experience. The use of this data is not just about technology, but primarily about the ability to make more informed decisions regarding the development and management of destinations.

From a research perspective, the development of models to understand destination dynamics and changes in tourist flows is of particular interest. Through such approaches, we can study, for example, how visitors move within an urban space, which locations attract the most interest, and how new areas of tourist interest can be developed.

Smart tourism is not just about technological advancement, but about a more comprehensive understanding of the tourism phenomenon, which contributes to the design of destinations that operate more effectively and sustainably.

D.A.: How is the master’s program in “Tourism Destination and Business Management” connected to the job market and the tourism industry?

I.N.: One of the key issues for any modern graduate program is the meaningful connection between academic knowledge and the real economy and the job market. In tourism, this is even more important, as it is a particularly dynamic sector where developments are constant and the needs of businesses are constantly changing.

In the MSc program “Tourism Destination and Business Management,” we place particular emphasis on this connection. The curriculum is designed to combine theoretical knowledge with the practical aspects of destination and business management, while we also seek ongoing interaction with organizations and professionals in the tourism sector.

Part of this effort is the creation of a Program Advisory Committee, which includes executives with significant experience from various sectors of tourism and transportation. Its membership includes representatives from Athens International Airport, the Port of Patras Authority, and the shipping sector, which allows the program to maintain an open line of communication with the market and the industry’s actual needs.

Such partnerships not only help enrich the educational process but also help create a broader network of contacts for the program’s students and graduates. Our goal is for students to acquire both a strong academic foundation and a substantive understanding of the challenges currently facing tourist destinations and businesses.

In this way, the program aims to contribute to the training of professionals who can support tourism planning and management with up-to-date knowledge, analytical tools, and strategic thinking.

“The challenge for the coming period is not only to predict how many visitors will come to a destination, but to understand how these visitor flows can be shaped in a way that supports more balanced and sustainable tourism development on a global scale.”

D.A.: What do you consider to be the biggest challenges for the development of Greek tourism over the next decade?

I.N.: Greek tourism has performed exceptionally well in recent years and is one of the main pillars of the Greek economy. However, the coming decade is expected to bring significant challenges related both to international developments and to the way we plan the development of tourist destinations.

One of the key challenges is the sustainable management of tourist flows. In some destinations, there is marked seasonality and a high concentration of visitors during specific periods of the year. This places pressure on infrastructure, the environment, and the daily lives of local communities. Developing policies that will promote the temporal and geographic dispersion of tourism is one of the key issues for the future.

At the same time, climate change is expected to significantly affect the way tourist flows are shaped on a global scale. Destinations will need to adapt to new environmental conditions, while the protection of natural resources will become even more important.

Another key factor is the use of data and new technologies in planning tourism development. Understanding destination dynamics, forecasting demand, and analyzing the spatial patterns of tourist flows can contribute to more informed decisions regarding tourism development.

Finally, another significant challenge is the promotion of new destinations and forms of tourism, beyond the country’s already well-known and particularly popular sites. Greece possesses a wealth of cultural and natural resources that can support the development of diverse forms of tourism and contribute to more balanced regional development.

Addressing these challenges requires coordination among public agencies, businesses, and the scientific community so that Greek tourism can continue to grow in a sustainable and competitive manner.

“Accessibility is now a key aspect of modern tourism development. So-called ‘tourism for all’ does not apply only to a specific category of visitors, but to the overall quality of a destination.”

D.A.: Your involvement in sports-related issues is also very important. Tell us about your study on the Expansion of Infrastructure and Accessibility Services for People with Disabilities at the 13th European Deaf Football Championship, held at the stadiums in Patras.

I.N.: Major sporting events are a particularly important form of tourism, as they combine sports with the promotion of a destination and the attraction of visitors from different countries. At the same time, however, they also highlight a critical issue for modern cities and tourist destinations: the accessibility of infrastructure and services for everyone.

The study, conducted in connection with the 13th European Deaf Football Championship in Patras, focused on evaluating the infrastructure and services that support access for people with disabilities to sports facilities and public spaces. The goal was to assess the facilities’ level of readiness and identify ways to improve them that could enhance visitors’ participation and experience.

Accessibility is now a fundamental aspect of modern tourism development. So-called “tourism for all” does not concern only a specific category of visitors, but rather the overall quality of a destination. Infrastructure that is accessible, safe, and functional enhances the experience for all visitors while simultaneously strengthening a destination’s competitiveness in the international tourism market.

At the same time, sporting events can serve as an important testing ground for the development of such infrastructure and services. By studying and evaluating these events, we can gain valuable insights into how cities can design more inclusive and functional environments for both residents and visitors.

D.A.: The combination of mathematical thinking with the world of “unbridled dreams”—as tourism seems to be—appears to have found a unique educational expression in you. You’re from Malesina. Would you like to tell us about the circumstances that inspired you to pursue this academic path? Were there any works of art, books, or movies that inspired you? How significant was the “tourism dream” that the country seemed to be living during the early years of your adulthood?

I.N.: My connection to tourism didn’t start out as a conscious career choice. Sometimes the experience of growing up in a certain place influences the choices you make. When you’re a child in a small town or near the sea—like my “village,” Malesina— tourism is all around you without you even calling it that: you read books in the summer, swim in the sea, meet friends, and observe people coming from different places and cultures. All these little moments create images and memories that nestle inside you for many years.

So perhaps part of my involvement with tourism has its roots in this nostalgic feeling from my childhood experiences. As you grow up, you begin to realize that many of these simple, everyday images are pieces of a reality that you later experience as an adult.

At the same time, my journey in mathematics gave me a different way of observing the world, seeking solutions and answers within complex systems and problems. That’s how tourism began to appear to me not only as a life experience but also as an interesting field of study. Many of those images of everyday life—people’s movements, routes through cities, places that take on special significance—can ultimately be described and analyzed using scientific tools.

Ultimately, this combination of experience and science may be what makes tourism such an interesting field of study. On the one hand, it is linked to personal memories and experiences, and on the other, to the effort to better understand how people travel, meet, and interact with the places they visit.