INTERVIEW WITH CHRISTOS VERONIS

MAYOR OF MYKONOS

– You were re-elected in the last municipal elections, having previously been the longest-serving mayor of Mykonos. What do you believe the people appreciated in you?

I was at the helm of the Municipality for 18 consecutive years and, after an absence of 15 years, I returned to the administration of the Municipality with the will of the people of Mykonos.

I believe there were four main reasons why the citizens of Mykonos chose me and the "Mykonos-First Again" ticket, resulting in our election in the first round with the high percentage of 51%.

During my term as mayor in the past, Mykonos, ahead of the rest of the Cyclades, acquired modern technical infrastructure (roads, port works, water supply and wastewater management infrastructure, schools, etc.).

This period has been recorded in the collective memory of the people of Mykonos as a period of creation and progress for the island, in contrast to the two terms of the previous Municipal Authority, which were dominated by inaction, problematic projects and the degradation of existing infrastructure.

During that same period control was lost, with a surge in illegal building, the unregulated operation of certain economic activities and an alarming increase in phenomena of delinquency and lawlessness.

The reputation of Mykonos was harmed, insecurity and unease intensified, and the people of Mykonos began to feel like strangers in their own home.

The desire for a return to normality, the restoration of the island's reputation, robust administration of the municipality and the creation of new infrastructure became a universal demand and was expressed in the elections through my re-election as Mayor and the election of new and unblemished figures to the positions of Municipal Councillors.

– Many argue that the real image of Mykonos is not the one projected by the media. The island has an identity and a history, elements that the general public is unaware of. What will you do to change this distorted perception, as well as to eliminate the phenomena that created this negative image of Mykonos?

We live in an age when bad news "travels" at great speed.

Weaknesses and mistakes are blown out of proportion and the openings that you yourself provide are exploited against you. This is what happened in Mykonos, which, as a leading tourist destination, operates within a fiercely competitive environment.

There are quite a few who lie in wait to exploit even our slightest misstep and to reap profits from our losses.

Obviously Mykonos is not what some, systematically, with generalisations and exaggerations, try to put across to the outside world.

Mykonos reached the top of the tourism firmament on its own merit.

The unparalleled hospitality, the open-handedness and the industriousness of the people of Mykonos, the unrivalled natural and man-made environment, the significant cultural wealth, the quality of the tourism product, are elements that make up the identity of Mykonos and created the island's all-powerful tourism brand.

As the Municipal Authority, we are working with determination and a plan to change everything that has wounded our island and "greyed" its image in recent years.

The island's infrastructure is being maintained and supplemented, and new infrastructure is being planned across every sector.

The services relating to the daily lives and quality of life of the permanent residents, the workers and the visitors of the island are being upgraded.

The improvement of the services provided in waste management is decisive, and the effective work of DEYAM in the field of water supply and wastewater management is bearing fruit. Our tourism product will be enriched with new forms of tourism, so that we can offer unique experiences to the visitors of Mykonos.

Entrepreneurship will be supported by every means, and the unacceptable behaviour of the few who have brought our island into disrepute will no longer be tolerated. By using modern methods and tools of communication and promotion, we will overturn the false image that has been created of our island and we will restore to Mykonos its lustre.

Mykonos-First Again, from a slogan, is becoming a reality.

In this effort we have on our side the overwhelming majority of Mykonian society and of those who work and run businesses on our island.

– Do you have a sense of this year's tourist season?

During last year's tourist season Mykonos showed signs of fatigue.

The reasons were mentioned earlier.

There was a slight decrease in air arrivals and in revenue.

By contrast, the sector that continuously shows upward trends and intense dynamism is that of cruises. As a fact this is positive! However, particular attention is required, along with the application of rules and a plan for managing cruise flows, so that possible negative consequences for the functioning of the island can be addressed in good time (such as the burden on traffic and infrastructure, the creation of overcrowding at certain points on the island, etc.).

The Port Fund is already working in this direction. We are therefore hopeful for a gradual correction of the situation.

If there are no serious external factors, we believe that tourist activity this year will be improved.

– Which countries are the people who invest in business and in property on the island coming from?

Mykonos was and remains attractive for investment in the tourism and real estate sectors.

Investments are welcome; they create growth, generate wealth and strengthen the island's competitiveness. However, development without principles and rules produces exactly the opposite of the desired results.

Investments must therefore serve the goal of the sustainable development of Mykonos.

That is, the existence of a balance between protecting all of the island's resources, increasing economic prosperity and satisfying the needs of society.

A key tool that we hope will be put to use in achieving the goal of sustainable development is the Special Urban Plan of Mykonos, which is already being drawn up and will determine land use and the island's "carrying capacity" in terms of building and investment.

In Mykonos, in the tourism and real estate sectors, business interests from all over the planet are active (powerful financial funds, world-renowned luxury tourism brands), as well as Greek investors.

We are pleased that Mykonian enterprise retains its dynamism and plays an important role in the development and progress of the island.

As a municipality we take particular interest and care in supporting Mykonian entrepreneurship as well as safeguarding social cohesion on our island.

After all, who else, other than the people of Mykonos, can better showcase and protect the unique Mykonian identity and guarantee the developmental future of Mykonos.

Interview by: Vassilis Babaolos General Manager of Arcus Real Estate