INTERVIEW WITH VOULA PATOULIDOU

DEPUTY REGIONAL GOVERNOR OF THESSALONIKI

– How do you envision Thessaloniki over the next five years?

Thessaloniki is being transformed. Dozens of projects are being carried out and will be carried out that will propel the city's prospects to new heights.

Thessaloniki, with a target of 2030, will become a modern, functional and outward-looking city. Look around you and you will recognise the first "signs". The Strategy for Sustainable Urban Development, which I manage, delivered projects in eight municipalities of Metropolitan Thessaloniki.

The Pavlos Melas Metropolitan Park, the interventions on the western coastal front, the planning for its redevelopment and use, and various small and large new neighbourhood projects, parks and redevelopments have begun to change the city. In the new period we are embracing four additional municipalities.

The long-suffering Metro will change not just the city's image but also the pace and daily lives of its citizens. A demand of years. I hope that within these five years we will also see the redevelopment of the TIF and the progress and completion of the major infrastructure projects.

– What are the city's greatest wounds?

Traffic, a perennial open wound, affects the daily life of citizens, comes at a cost and holds the city back.

Another open wound is the indifference towards public space.

A portion of the population has forgotten, or does not understand, the concept of what is communal. They think it is someone else's responsibility. It cannot be that what you clear away one day is still there the next. You cannot fail to look after the public space outside your own front door. It is a sign of love for your place. Yes! I accept that the administration must set a good example, but the citizen too must become a partner in the effort of every administration.

– What has gone wrong that Thessaloniki has not seen the development it ought to have?

In recent years the city had lost its winner's mentality. The environment of the bailout memoranda and the pandemic threw us off balance. It was as if time froze and we settled into stagnation early. The pressure exerted on all of us paralysed us. That is changing. We have brought out the "warrior" within us!

A vertical rise in property prices at all levels, short-term and long-term rentals, sales of homes and shops, and an increase in hotel units.

– Do you consider that this upgrades life in Thessaloniki or makes it unaffordable?

New construction appears set to put the brakes on property prices at all levels. The increase in hotel units is visible. Thessaloniki is now a target market for the representatives of the hotel industry. Investors are confidently embracing the city, which through its own strengths has managed to attract deep pockets.

– Is Thessaloniki a strong brand capable of attracting more tourists and investors?

Its strategic location, the speed at which the infrastructure projects are advancing, its cultural heritage, its gastronomy and its nightlife easily turn the Bride of the Thermaic Gulf into a much-courted Bride of investors.

– What do you believe must be done immediately for Thessaloniki to change and become one of the top tourist destinations, as well as an ideal city to live in?

Thessaloniki is evolving into a top destination for those searching online for their next travel stop. The promotional strategy of the Thessaloniki Tourism Organisation, built on digital tools, has borne fruit. The work we have done over the past few years (and during the pandemic) is both visible and measurable. Indicative of the dramatic change that has come about in terms of recognisability is the fact that during 2022, according to data from tourix, the number of online searches for the city has soared. The largest increase in online searches is recorded from markets such as Germany, Cyprus, the United Kingdom, Israel, the Balkans and, most recently, America too. It is no coincidence. Look at the Thessaloniki Tourism Organisation's review. You will find that these markets are the target markets we set for the previous year and achieved!

Interview by: Vasilis Babaolous General Manager of Arcus Real Estate