Supervisors info:
Δρ. Α. Αντωναράκου Καθηγήτρια Τμήμα Γεωλογίας και Γεωπεριβάλλοντος ΕΚΠΑ
Δρ. Ε. Λέκκας Καθηγητής Τμήμα Γεωλογίας και Γεωπεριβάλλοντος ΕΚΠΑ
Δρ. Σ. Λόζιος, Αναπλ. Καθηγητής Τμήμα Γεωλογίας και Γεωπεριβάλλοντος ΕΚΠΑ
Εξειδικευμένη Επιστημονική Καθοδήγηση:
Δρ.Α. Κούρου
Δρ. Γεωλόγος, Προϊσταμένη του Τμήματος Εκπαίδευσης -Ενημέρωσης του Ο.Α.Σ.Π.
Summary:
The aim of the present diploma thesis is to detect the needs and requirements of tourists during their stay in Greece, in case of a concurrent physical disaster (e.g. earthquake, forest fire). A primary research among tourists was supplemented by a bibliography review in this subject.
The bibliography review analyses the international strategies of disaster danger mitigation as well as the European and Greek law framework of disaster danger management policies. Reference, through bibliography search, is done to the concepts of natural – technological disasters, danger, earthquake, landslide, inundation, technological risks, forest fire risk, exposure, vulnerability, the ability to appraise and confront, the adaptability. We present the ‘tourism product’ as a competitive activity in the international, European and Greek economic environment, the tourist flows from the Eurozone to Greece, the institutional framework for tourism and touristic enterprises in Greece. We explain existing regulations like the building-structural regulation regarding the classification and categorization of buildings and structures, the earthquake risk zoning of Greece, the anti-seismic construction regulation which constitutes a basic tool for the study of buildings and structures, and contributes greatly in their ability to accept big earthquake stresses with safety. Moreover, we refer the institutional framework, the responsibilities, the educational and other various actions of the Greek Organization of Earthquake Protection during the thirty-five years of its operation. We make a reference to the institutional framework of the Fire Service and part of the law regarding Fire Protection: this examines the building structural requirements that assure fire protection. We review the relevant European instructions on workers’ safety and health, we correlate them with the corresponding Greek laws and examine how the latter was attuned to the former. Finally, the measure of exposure of the Attica and Zakynthos regions to natural disasters (earthquakes and forest fires) is presented.
During the primary research, our concrete purpose was the detection of the requirements and needs of tourists sojourning in Greece, in case of a concurrent natural disaster. With this aim in sight, a questionnaire was created and distributed for filling, on the one hand to tourists that had selected to stay in a big city like Athens, on the other hand to ones having selected a Greek island with intense seismicity, e.g. Zakynthos. In this way, we tried to detect the levels of knowledge, information, anticipation, response and reaction of tourists staying in our country, regarding natural dangers, in two different tourist destinations. We also tried to detect the level of information regarding the same issues in their countries of origin. In parallel, we tried to discern the anticipatory and readiness actions and measures of authorities and enterprises related to tourism, as well as the Greek state in general. After analysis and processing of the research data, we extract conclusions and make suggestions regarding the adoption of best practices in safety and security of tourists from concrete natural disasters: earthquakes and forest fires.
