Perspectives for the development of tourism and recreation in range landscapes
In the recent years, to the various number of different management practices and services of range landscapes (such as grazing and pasturage – water, animal and apiarian production), an escalating tendency of demand for recreation and specially for Alternative Forms of Tourism (ecotourism – agrotourism) can be added. The main purpose of the present study is to survey the demand aspects concerning the potential development of Alternative Forms of Tourism in the area of Sykia, Chalkidiki, a place mainly covered by shrublands and natural grasslands so as the characteristic aspects of landscape and tradition should be protected. In order to analyze the demand for tourism and recreation, an attempt to investigate the characteristics of the tourists, their preferences, demands and suggestions took place by using questionnaires. The outcome of the present survey underlines the necessity of a sustainable designing and planning so as the resource management and visual improvement will be realized in two main directions: a) promotion of the Alternative Forms of Tourism and b) improvement of Services and organization of the Coastal Zone.
The conditions of multifunctionnality in the research and development of the mountain areas
In our days, it is scientifically well known that the development of the mountain areas do not depend only from the utilization of general econometric models and the analysis of their results, but mostly from the deep understanding of the particularities and the potentialities in a local level. In other words, the understanding of the multifunctional possibilities of the agricultural mountain space may lead us to combine the situation and the needs of the space with the actual needs and life conditions of the people.
Development possibilities of the mountain areas of Greece: problems, policy and objectives
Generally, the mountain areas of Greece have “permanent natural disadvantages”, as they are characterized by poor quality of resources and remoteness and distance from main population centres. Theses areas experience depopulation trends, economic decline and deterioration of social fabric. Today a drastic decrease of the population in connection with land abandonment is a real event, owing mainly to low incomes, lack of facilities and services, and negligible civilization opportunities as compared to plain areas and urban centres. Long time ago and for some periods, specific policy measures had been applied in the country for the mountain areas. Since 1950 for some years the so called “programme of mountainous economy” has been under action, with subsidies for livestock, national funds to construct roads, small-scale irrigation works, land reclamation, mechanism to advise farmers to adopt new varieties of crops and new breeds of livestock, etc. Since 1981 a series of policy measures have been provided by the E.U., and Greece has taken advantage of them by encouraging development of mountain and less favourite areas in general, and relaxing their problems. The objectives for the mountain areas must ensure the future of the countryside and mainly refer to specific development strategies on local level, administrative and technical support, income support, infrastructure and restructure of the economy, preserving of local civilization and tradition, and differentiation of market policy. Finally, it must be emphasized that the mountains must always respond to fundamental economic, cultural and social functions, and, therefore, the State must show a specific and continuous interest with suitable policy measures in order to utilise and develop the mountain zones of the country.
Mountainous rangelands of the Prefecture of Eurytania
Eurytania is a mountainous prefecture as 54% of its area has altitudes over 1000m. The total area of Eurytania is 186.940 Ha, 9.060 of which is agricultural land, 82.200 Ha forests and 76.000 Ha rangelands. Generally, Eurytania can be characterized as a livestock husbandry prefecture due to the physiography of the area and the existing rangelands. Livestock husbandry has a major economic interest as in many productive units it may improve to the low income of the farmers.
Multifunctionality of rangelands and its relevance to the development of mountainous and less favoured areas
Rangeland is a type of uncultivated land that is dominated by native plants, mostly grasses, forbs, and shrubs. Rangelands include grasslands, shrublands, phrygana, and open woodlands. Historically, the primary use of rangelands has been to provide forage for livestock and wildlife. However, the importance of rangelands for recreation and water production is growing. Therefore, most rangelands are managed under the principle of multiple-use, which means that several uses or values of rangeland are managed simultaneously with care to avoid overuse or destruction of natural resources. Rangeland resources (plants, animals, soil, and water) must be carefully managed and used, however, in order to meet the needs and desires of society. In Greece, rangelands are found on mountainous and less favoured areas and their development is related with activities, such as pastoralism, recreation, tourism, wildlife and preservation of natural environment. Community rural development includes a series of measures some of which are especially significant for rangelands and mountainous areas.
