Protection and enhancement of the protected area of Vai palm forest in Crete, Greece: The views of the local population (original) (raw)

The Municipality of Itanos is nearby the palm forest of Vai, one of the most beautiful landscapes in Greece. The local people believe that the palm forest functions as a comparative advantage and contributes to the tourism development of their region, by attracting tourism of a higher quality, although its promotion is characterized as mediocre. They perceive tourism as the most important sector for the development of their region, followed by agriculture, animal breeding and fishing. Their view is that the actions undertaken by the relevant authorities for the protection and enhancement of the palm forest at Vai are not the required ones. They are more satisfied with the actions of the local government and lesser so by those of the central government (administration). The locals believe that tourism development has had a positive effect on the palm forest.