By Isidoros Karderinis
From Friday, April 25 to Sunday, April 27, a highly successful journalism conference titled “Journalism–Environment–Tourism–Resilience” took place in Volos. It was organized by the Region of Thessaly in collaboration with the Panhellenic Federation of Journalists’ Unions (POESY), the Journalists’ Union of Daily Newspapers of Thessaly, Central Greece and Euboea, the Magnesia Department of the Technical Chamber of Greece, the Chamber of Magnesia, and the Municipality of South Pelion.
The aim of the conference was clearly to change the negative image formed after the devastating floods of September 2023, which seriously damaged Thessaly’s reputation as a major tourist destination. At the same time, it sought to highlight the comparative advantages of the city of Volos, the beautiful region of Pelion, and the region as a whole, just before the start of the 2025 tourist season.
Journalists, scientists, and politicians from Greece and abroad participated in the conference and shared their views on critical issues. The Regional Governor of Thessaly, Dimitris Kourretas, presented the country’s first Civil Protection Coordination Center, created in the Regional Government building in Larissa. He emphasized the need for timely prevention and effective management of both natural and man-made disasters. He also referred to the restoration measures taken after the severe damage in Thessaly in 2023, and to the need to create conditions for sustainable development.
The president of the conference’s organizing committee, Deputy Regional Governor for Digital Governance and Citizen Services, Giannis Anastasiou, stressed that Thessaly has fully recovered as a safe and dynamic tourist destination for all citizens and visitors, both Greek and foreign. The president of POESY, Sotiris Triantafyllou, on his part, emphasized that Thessaly represents a major case study on how we confront and cover crises and environmental disasters.
The conference proceedings were broadcast live by ERT3 and MEGA. A group of foreign correspondents, who were specially invited, also attended. The Egyptian state television channel “AL-QAHERA TV” covered the event via live broadcast through its correspondent in Athens, Abdelsattar Barakat.
Particularly moving were the testimonies of journalists who covered the catastrophic floods in Thessaly in September 2023. The conference concluded with a one-day excursion for the guests to Pelion, including a ride on the historic Pelion train from Ano Lechonia to Milies. The day, which included some periods of rain, ended with a meal featuring many delicious traditional dishes in the picturesque square of Vizitsa.
Isidoros Karderinis is a journalist, foreign correspondent, and a regular member of the Foreign Press Association of Greece.
