Central Macedonia Region Approves Tourism SME Funding

Photo Source: @Thessaloniki Travel

Central Macedonia Region Governor Apostolos Tzitzikostas announced this week that EU funding had been approved for 312 investment projects by SMEs with nine in 10 active in tourism.

The investment projects – to receive subsidies for construction and upgrades ranging from 100,000 to 600,000 euros – have been approved under the “Establishment and Modernization of Existing Micro, Small and Medium-sized Manufacturing and Tourism Enterprises” program with 123 million euros from EU sources and 55.3 million from public funding.

“Half of the SMEs getting the green light are new or currently under development, while nine out of 10 are in the tourism sector. It is a clear message that entrepreneurship and investment is picking up in Central Macedonia, as we come out of the multi-year crisis,” said Tzitzikostas.

Central Macedonia Region Governor Apostolos Tzitzikostas.

More specifically, more than half (54.17 percent) of the projects approved for financing are in the tourism sector and 45.83 percent in manufacturing.

Of the projects, 158 businesses are existing, 29 are new, and 40.06 percent are in the process of being set up.

The majority (92.8 percent) of SMEs currently in the process of being established are in tourism.

In terms of destinations, 124 plans (118 in tourism) are set for Halkidiki and 121 (22 tourism) for Thessaloniki.