Fam trip to the greek pilot areas of the EU Project Med Pearls

Mazi Travel, as part of its participation in the European Programme Med Pearls, which focuses on the development of Slow Tourism products, participated in the co-organization of a familiarization trip (fam trip) in cooperation with the Municipality of Thessaloniki and the other three tour operators from Greece participating in the Med Pearls Programme. 

Representatives of tourism businesses from France, the Netherlands and Germany, countries with a heightened awareness of sustainable practices and a strong interest in tourism products for Sustainable Tourism in the Mediterranean region attended the fam trip.

The itinerary of the fam trip that took place between 24-27 February 2023, included visits, activities and overnight stays in the city of Thessaloniki, the region of Imathia and Pieria, which are the pilot areas of the Med Pearls Programme.

The main objective of the trip was to familiarize visitors with the particular environmental and cultural characteristics of the areas visited and to bring them into contact with the local community to promote the areas as Slow Tourism destinations. The fam trip offered visitors a rich experience of the local culture, gastronomy and natural wealth of the areas, characteristics that make them ideal destinations for Slow Tourism programmes.

The programme of the fam trip was carefully prepared to provide a comprehensive overview of the pilot areas and their tourism infrastructure, as well as to present their capabilities and potential for implementing Slow Tourism programmes.

The guests visited a pottery workshop in the region of Pieria and toured the Museum of the Royal Tombs of Aigai and the information centre of the National Park of Olympus. The guests participated in visits to hotels, wineries and cheese dairies, while the local dishes and products they tasted left excellent impressions on the quality and gastronomy of the place. They also came into contact with the folklore of the region by watching the custom “Genitsari and Boules”, which is a basic characteristic of Naoussa’s cultural heritage, highlighting the identity of the region.

The organization of the familiarization trip is an action, among others, to raise awareness among tourism professionals from abroad and to increase the interest and tourist flow in the Greek pilot regions of the Med Pearls Programme.

Through its participation in the Med Pearls Programme, Mazi Travel, using creativity and the use of specific design methods and practices, has created the tourism product Imathia A.s.A.P. (Imathia As slow As Possible), which composes a family of ten thematic Slow Tourism programmes with Imathia as the main destination

Walking tour in Veria – Barbouta; the traditional Jewish Quarter.

Guided visit to the Museum of the Royal Tombs at Aegae, Vergina

Tour at Mount Olympus National Park Information Centre

Wine tasting at Domaine Kelesidis in Naousa