Dimitris Kourkourids - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Dimitris Kourkourids

International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning, 2009

Journal of urban history, Feb 13, 2024

This paper conceptualizes trade fairs as complex socio-spatial phenomena, which are constantly tr... more This paper conceptualizes trade fairs as complex socio-spatial phenomena, which are constantly transformed, following socioeconomic change, and reflect aspects of social and urban life. Methodologically, we apply a longitudinal systematic comparative analysis of historical fair evolution between international practice and the case of the city of Thessaloniki, exploring convergence and divergence, throughout the historical evolution of the city. It is shown that Thessaloniki fair exhibits similarities and differences vis-à-vis the international practice, with these linking to the socioeconomic conditions of the city. Fair activity in Thessaloniki exhibits a time lag in integration of international practices while incorporating economic, social, cultural, and political dimensions. Particularly within the conditions of the 2008 global economic crisis, Thessaloniki fair emerges as a hybrid model that combines fairs' strategies and social and urban practices with aspects of pre-modern, modern, and post-modern fair forms, significantly influenced by the historical evolution of the urban context.

Sustainability , 2024

The establishment of sustainable energy frameworks amidst global climate change and dwindling pet... more The establishment of sustainable energy frameworks amidst global climate change and dwindling petroleum reserves has prompted a focus on energy transition, marking a shift in how energy is utilized within systems. Greece, historically reliant on lignite for electricity generation, faces the challenge of transitioning towards a low-carbon economy. This study explores the potential of creating a multipurpose entrepreneurship and culture center, the Mediterranean Center for Entrepreneurship and Culture (MCEC), in Megalopolis, Arcadia, Greece, as a strategic intervention for economic, social, and environmental restructuring. Drawing on best practices and comprehensive analyses of external factors, the study outlines the conceptualization and evaluation of the MCEC, considering economic feasibility, development scenarios, financial sustainability, and stakeholder engagement. The discussion highlights the anticipated benefits of the MCEC, including job creation, entrepreneurship promotion, and socio-cultural advancement, underscoring its potential to mitigate the impacts of lignite phase-out and foster sustainable regional development. Overall, the establishment of the MCEC is poised to yield positive socio-economic impacts, including employment growth, entrepreneurship promotion, infrastructure development, and cultural enrichment, contributing to the resilience and prosperity of the Megalopolis region and beyond.

Geojournal of Tourism and Geosites, 2024

This research investigates the motivations and objectives of visitor participation in trade fairs... more This research investigates the motivations and objectives of visitor participation in trade fairs in Thessaloniki. In particular, the trend of combining professional goals with the entertainment of visitors is investigated. The aim of the research is to determine whether the inclination to blend economic goals with entertainment is a shared characteristic among attendees of all trade fair events, or if it varies in any manner. Mixed methods research was used: quantitative research (1,066 participants) and in-depth interviews (51 participants). In order to comprehensively understand phenomena and ensure validity, the triangulation approach was used. The results showed that the type of trade fair is related to visitors' participation objectives. Specifically, the reason for visiting the trade fairs addressed to the general public is mainly entertainment, while those of the specialized sectoral trade fairs are mainly business-related. However, even in the sectoral trade fairs there is a significant percentage in several cases that mentions fun-entertainment as an objective. These results are of great research importance, but also of managerial importance, both for the trade fair organizers and for the local tourism development agencies.

In the framework of the intense competition developed among touristic destinations, new and effec... more In the framework of the intense competition developed among touristic destinations, new and effective tools for touristic promotion are constantly being seeked and developed. Under this spectrum and in an effort to offer an experiential approach to travel agents, tour operators and other tourism professionals, 3-day Familiarization
Trips (hereof referred to as “Fam Trips”) are organized in various regions of Greece. These Fam Trips constitute a means for the promotion of the specific host destination
directly to selected and targeted tourism professionals who are thus provided with a “first hand” experience of the advantages that the specific destinations have to offer to their visitors.
In this report, a research on the effectiveness of the Familiarization Trip as a tool for touristic promotion and development is attempted. This research shall include two parts: initially, the careful study of the international bibliography on this topic and subsequently a focus on the specific case of the Fam Trips organized by TIF-HELEXPO in the context of “Philoxenia 2016 &2017” Exhibition. In particular, for the inspection of this case study, primary research was carried out with the use of
questionnaires for the examination of the perceptions and opinions of the tour operators who participated in the specific Fam Trips, but also of the level of accomplishment of the basic objectives of the Fam Trips, namely the improvement of the image of Greece as a touristic destination and the intention of the tour operators to promote the particular host destinations and Greece as a country to their clients.

Keywords: Familiarization Trip (Fam Trips), touristic promotion, TIF-HELEXPO, Philoxenia

Modern Managment Forum, 2018

The main aim of the paper is the exploration of a possible Not in My Backyard Phenomenon (NIMBY) ... more The main aim of the paper is the exploration of a possible Not in My Backyard Phenomenon (NIMBY) in the region of Pella, because of the irrational functioning of the Landfills of Aridaia and Edessa. The exploration that central hypothesis initially attempted through clarification of bibliographic and theoretical sources (social, economic, political, etc.) involved in the expression of the syndrome N.I.M.Β.Y. and with regard to the waste management practices. The primary research with questionnaires and interviews concerned the inhabitants of the communities that are located in the area of the landfills of Aridaia and Edessa. The objective was to relate the environmental knowledge and citizens’ action with their socio-demographic and educational profile and ultimately their willingness to play a role in participatory planning and environmental control processes of the landfills operating in their areas. Our parallel objective was to identify the potential factors that may be a cause of rebound NIMBY phenomena.

Keywords
N.I.M.B.Y. (Not In My Back Yard); Landfills; waste management; sociology of space; Regional Unit of Pellas

In this paper, on the occasion of the decision for the construction of the Thessaloniki submerged... more In this paper, on the occasion of the decision for the construction of the Thessaloniki submerged tunnel (TST), we set the problem of the urban evolution of the city in correlation with the mobility, through the empirical investigation of the citizens’ views. As theoretical tools, we use strategic planning and urban governance in order to achieve modern planning proposals that presuppose processes of social transaction between social actors, and other social partners (active social groups, agents etc) for the sustainable development of the city. Methodologically we worked with 621 questionnaires, within the urban agglomeration of Thessaloniki, that were given out and collected between the 7th and 9th of March. The statistical elaboration of the sample was carried out with the use of the SPSS software. Primarily we examine the development of the city during the 19th and 20th century in relation to the problem of Thessaloniki linear sprawl as well as the communication between the two city poles, the west and the east. We continue with the presentation of the social and spatial features of the sample, as well as the major issue of the assessment of the traffic, environmental and urban impacts of the TST. Then, we examine the structure of the urban mobility. What, follows is an analysis of the issues with regard to the housing areas and the intention to use the TST, the reasons for commuting from west to the east, and vice versa, and the evaluation of the impacts according to the housing areas. We also verify the demographic variables as are sex and age with the following routes (TST, central streets, ring road). Concluding, we verify the variables of sex with the evaluation of the impacts of the TST and age with the intention to use it.
Key words: Thessaloniki submerged tunnel (TST), questionnaire survey, participatory planning, strategic planning, sustainable development, urban structure, urban mobility

Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Management, 2020

Kourkouridis, D., Pozrikidis, K. and Gaidartzis, D. The provision of medical care during major e... more Kourkouridis, D., Pozrikidis, K. and Gaidartzis, D.

The provision of medical care during major events is a significant issue, both for organisers and for the emergency services that support these events. Nevertheless, research on this matter is limited. This research attempts to approach the matter through the study of fairs and events held at TIF-HELEXPO during the 2015-2018 period (1,774 medical incidents). Result analysis indicated that there are no significant differentiations in the number of medical incidents with regard to gender, age, country of origin, status, type of illness, and outcome of incidents; however, there were differentiations in the frequency of incidents, with regards to the character of the fair and the event.

Βαρβούνης, Μ. Γ., Μπαρτσιώκας, A., Μαχά-Μπιζούμη, N. Οι Πομάκοι της Θράκης. Πολυεπιστημονικές και διεπιστημονικές προσεγγίσεις, 2020

Αρβανίτης, Α. Λαφαζάνη Π. Μπασμπας, Σ. Παπαδοπούλου, Μ. Παρασχάκης, Ι. και Ρωσσικόπουλος Δ. (2015) Χαρτογραφίες Νου, Ψυχής και Γνώσης. Αφιέρωμα στον Ομότιμο Καθηγητή Μύρωνα Μυρίδη, Τμήμα Αγρονόμων Τοπογράφων Μηχανικών ΑΠΘ, Εκδόσεις Ζήτη, Θεσσαλονίκη, σελ. 698-715., 2015

Φραγκόπουλος, Ι., Παπασυμεων, Χ., Κουρκουρίδης, Δ. Στο παρόν άρθρο εξετάζουμε την κοινωνικο-χωρι... more Φραγκόπουλος, Ι., Παπασυμεων, Χ., Κουρκουρίδης, Δ.

Στο παρόν άρθρο εξετάζουμε την κοινωνικο-χωρική συγκρότηση του σύγχρονου εμπορικού κέντρου μέσω μιας κοινωνιολογικής και ανθρωπολογικής συλλογιστικής που αξιολογεί τα εννοιολογικά θεωρητικά εργαλεία της ετεροτοπίας (Foucault, 1986) ως χώρου άσκησης της εξουσίας, καθώς και της παραγωγής του χώρου. Για την παραγωγή του χώρου, ο Lefebvre αναπτύσσει τη διαλεκτική του χώρου με βάση τρεις ορισμούς, τις αναπαραστάσεις του χώρου, τις χωρικές πρακτικές και τους χώρους αναπαράστασης (Lefebvre, 2000). Η ετεροτοπία είναι ένας ιδιαίτερος χώρος, μέσα σε άλλους χώρους, οι λειτουργίες του οποίου είναι διαφορετικές ή αντίθετες με αυτές του συνόλου (Foucault, 1987). Μεθοδολογικά εργαστήκαμε με διττό τρόπο. Αφενός με μια διαχρονική προσέγγιση, κατά την οποία μελετώντας τις κοινωνικοχωρικές διαστάσεις των χωροθετήσεων των εμπορικών δραστηριοτήτων από την αρχαιότητα μέχρι και τη σημερινή εποχή, καταλήξαμε σε διακριτές περιόδους. Αφετέρου με μια συγχρονική προσέγγιση μέσω της εμπειρικής έρευνας που διεξήγαμε κατά την διάρκεια της εκπόνησης της διπλωματικής μας εργασίας του Τμήματος Μηχανικών Χωροταξίας και Ανάπτυξης, στο Mediterranean Cosmos στη Θεσσαλονίκη. Η έρευνα πεδίου πραγματοποιήθηκε με ερωτηματολόγια, από τον Απρίλιο έως και τον Μάιο του 2012, με τελικό δείγμα 466 ατόμων.

The aim of this paper is to explore the potential for integrated rural tourism development in bor... more The aim of this paper is to explore the potential for integrated rural tourism development in border regions, drawing attention upon local products and traditions festivities. Local festivals associated with local products...

Χαρτογραφίες Νου, Ψυχής και Γνώσης: αφιέρωμα στον ομότιμο καθηγητή Μύρωνα Μυρίδη, 2015

Sustainability

Cross-border cooperation is an important factor for the sustainability of border areas, while the... more Cross-border cooperation is an important factor for the sustainability of border areas, while the accessibility of tourism businesses enhances inclusiveness in tourism. This article presents the results obtained from the comparative analysis of the accessibility of tourism businesses in the cross-border area of Greece and the Republic of North Macedonia. The results show room for improvement, but also a great willingness to invest in business accessibility and staff training. Similarities and differences were also identified between the statuses of accessibility in the two countries. These results are particularly useful for the development of cooperation between the two countries, in order to create a single accessible tourist product, with the ultimate goal of differentiating the destinations and obtaining a competitive advantage, in the context of sustainable tourism development.

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY

The needs of the regional planning and education for organized, concentrated and readily availabl... more The needs of the regional planning and education for organized, concentrated and readily available information in Greece require an integrated solution. The lack of a complete and systematic cartographic documentation of the land and the socioeconomic spatial parameters of Greece, creates a great scientific and development gap as the last relevant Atlas goes back to 1963 and it is considered as old, at least as far as the data used are concerned. The recent publication of a new Atlas in this field, does not cover the gap mainly because the cartographic approach followed is rather limited and weak. As a consequence, such cartographic challenge is a major concern for specialists especially from the domain of the university. The present project is attempting to cover the needs we mentioned before via the design of an electronic regional atlas of a unique Greek region (Epirus). The design includes the standards, the thematic contents and the structure and functionality. The structure of...

Journal of Tourism Research, 2017

Aim: Lewy body dementia is a common neurodegenerative dementia with unique challenges in managing... more Aim: Lewy body dementia is a common neurodegenerative dementia with unique challenges in managing day-to-day life. A more in-depth multifaceted picture of the Lewy body dementia lived experience will enable identification of best practice and future research direction. The review aim was to explore experiences of people living with Lewy body dementia and their family carers. Design: Integrative review method informed by Whittemore and Knafl, supported by the information retrieval framework PALETTE. A convergent integrated approach enabled synthesis of key findings and theme identification. Data sources: Medline, CINAHL, PsycINFO, AMED, and ALOIS databases were systematically searched to find studies published between 1995 and 2020. Review methods: Twenty-six articles from twenty studies were synthesized (from 1583 retrieved). Quality and relevance were appraised using the Mixed-Methods Appraisal Tool and Gough's 'Weight of Evidence' framework. Data management was supported by ATLAS.ti 8 and COVIDENCE software. Results: Four themes were identified: living with an uncertain diagnosis and prognosis; fear of the now - worry for the future; living with behavioural and psychiatric symptoms; and maintaining a social and emotional life. People reported difficulty finding information and support around diagnosis, disease progression and managing complex symptoms. The result is increased caregiver burden, grief and stress and reduced quality of life. Conclusion: Delayed diagnosis and complex symptom burden means people are not getting the timely support and information they need to live and die well. Current evidence is largely quantitative, with a focus on family caregiver burden and unmet need. The challenge remains in how to capture a more holistic picture of the lived experience for people living with Lewy body dementia and those who care for them. Impact: This review highlighted current knowledge and identified gaps in exploring the lived experience for people with Lewy body dementia and their families.

J. of Tourism and Hospitality Management, 2020

Wine tourism as an alternative form of tourism is developed in rural areas with significant wine ... more Wine tourism as an alternative form of tourism is developed in rural areas with significant wine production. But rural areas are usually not characterized by dynamic local economies. Therefore the contribution of wine tourism to regional development is important. In the region we will focus on the present paper, i.e., the countries of Greece and Bulgaria, where the tradition in viticulture and production of quality wines is long. Especially in the cross-border area of Greece-Bulgaria, wine production is very remarkable. The project "VineSOS-SOS for endangered traditional vine varieties" implemented and funded by the Program "Cooperation Program Interreg V-A Greece-Bulgaria 2014-2020" identified local grape varieties in danger of extinction. In addition, a comprehensive intervention mechanism was formed for greater protection and sustainability of these varieties. The next step after the protection and promotion of these varieties is their utilization for the region with the development of a common wine tourism product for the cross-border area of Greece-Bulgaria. The present research seeks to utilize the results of the VineSOS project to develop a proposal for wine tourism development in the cross-border region of Greece-Bulgaria as a single tourist product. The main hypothesis of our research concerns the investigation and formulation of a strategy for the development of wine tourism in the cross-border region of Greece-Bulgaria based on the rare vine varieties found in the region. The development of this strategy emerges through the study of the international literature on wine tourism and the study of good practices at the international level, as well as through the special features of the cross-border area of Greece-Bulgaria.

In their effort to confront the intensely competitive international ambiance, International Trade... more In their effort to confront the intensely competitive international ambiance, International Trade Fair Organizers organize hospitality programs for foreign trade visitors in the framework of their field exhibitions, in order to add value to the services offered to their exhibitors by differentiating themselves from their competitors. In the context of these programs, the Exhibition Organizers invite and host selected Foreign Trade Visitors who constitute potential Buyers of the products/services represented in every field exhibition. The invited trade visitors (hereof “Hosted Buyers”) book pre-arranged business appointments (b2b meetings) with the Exhibitors with the aim to reach business agreements/transactions with the exhibitors, thus enhancing the export activities of the enterprises. TIF-HELEXPO has been organizing such Hosted Buyers Programs for the past two decades, in order to make its Trade Fairs and Exhibitions more competitive on an international level. Since 2014, these ...

International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning, 2009

Journal of urban history, Feb 13, 2024

Sustainability , 2024

Geojournal of Tourism and Geosites, 2024

Keywords: Familiarization Trip (Fam Trips), touristic promotion, TIF-HELEXPO, Philoxenia

Modern Managment Forum, 2018

Keywords
N.I.M.B.Y. (Not In My Back Yard); Landfills; waste management; sociology of space; Regional Unit of Pellas

Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Management, 2020

Kourkouridis, D., Pozrikidis, K. and Gaidartzis, D. The provision of medical care during major e... more Kourkouridis, D., Pozrikidis, K. and Gaidartzis, D.

Χαρτογραφίες Νου, Ψυχής και Γνώσης: αφιέρωμα στον ομότιμο καθηγητή Μύρωνα Μυρίδη, 2015

Sustainability

Journal of Tourism Research, 2017

J. of Tourism and Hospitality Management, 2020

ΔΕΘ-HELEXPO Α.Ε. Θεσσαλονίκη, 2020

Ποζρικίδης, Κ. και Κουρκουρίδης, Δ. Το παρόν εγχειρίδιο έχει ως στόχο του να αποτελέσει έναν χρ... more Ποζρικίδης, Κ. και Κουρκουρίδης, Δ.

Το παρόν εγχειρίδιο έχει ως στόχο του να αποτελέσει έναν χρηστικό οδηγό για τις επιχειρήσεις και τους οργανισμούς που συμμετέχουν σε εμπορικές εκθέσεις έτσι ώστε να διευκολυνθούν και να μεγιστοποιήσουν τα οφέλη τους από τις εμπορικές εκθέσεις, αποφεύγοντας τις αστοχίες.
Το εγχειρίδιο αυτό αποτελείται από τρία διακριτά μέρη:
Στο πρώτο μέρος, αποφασίζονται βασικές έννοιες της εκθεσιακής βιομηχανίας, ενώ παράλληλα δίνεται μια συνοπτική εικόνα του κλάδου των εκθέσεων στην Ελλάδα, αλλά και διεθνώς.
Στο δεύτερο μέρος, αναλύονται οι εκθεσιακές στρατηγικές μιας επιχειρήσεις ή ενός οργανισμού με ολοκληρωμένο τρόπο από τον σχεδιασμό τους, στην υλοποίηση τους, στις ενέργειες επακολούθησης (follow-up) και την επανατροφοδότηση των επόμενων συμμετοχών.
Στο τρίτο μέρος, αναλύονται ορισμένα ειδικά θέματα της εκθεσιακής βιομηχανίας, όπου παρουσιάζονται κάποιες έρευνες που κρίθηκαν σημαντικές και μπορούν να συμβάλουν στο εξοπλισμό των επιχειρήσεων και των οργανισμών με εφαρμοσμένες γνώσεις και εμπειρίες.