Tourism in all its “forms”, is the driving force of the economy of each country and region. Particularly for the Mediterranean countries with limited industrial production, it serves often as the major pillar of their economy.

The archaeological sites, as well as the history that remains to emerge through the excavation works, are a brilliant field for the tourist development and consolidation of the tourist product.

The “inexhaustible” archaeological wealth of the Mediterranean basin also requires transnational actions by the Mediterranean countries, in order to promote and exploit them by designing and implementing specific programs.

The excavation process, as part of archaeological tourism, deserves more attention because not only it renews the interest of visitors to an archaeological site based on new findings but also offers new possibilities in an area without an archaeological precedent.

The reinforcement and development of archaeological excavations, apart from the number of new jobs that it creates, also acts as an “investment process” for the renewal and “diversification” of the touristic product. Every act of “disinvestment” and “opportunistic” approach to the excavation process leads to depreciation in the monuments of our cultural heritage and undermines the economic development of our region.

Furthermore, the excavation process contributes to the development of “excavation tourism”, which is explained as the connection with the excavation experience, through organized participation in “excavations”, guided tours and relevant information programs, as an element of the development of cultural tourism and revealing the unique cultural resources of the Mediterranean countries – not only for the visitors of a country but also for its inhabitants and local communities.

The economic exploitation of the excavation process must be a main scope of the state because there is a need for cost recovery and for the financing of new excavations as well.
It is also necessary to support the general infrastructure projects around a site of excavation so that the area will be accessible and friendly to the visitor.

Regions with a high degree of specialization and employment in cultural activities – such as the excavation sector – are among the regions with the highest income per capita, not including crowded urban centres.

To sum up all of the above, the development of such an important sector of tourism, the excavation tourism, should be supported in the future because it is of main importance for regions with rich archaeological value.

10/23/2017