Greek island launches digital safety guide for visitors

The Greek Municipality of Skiathos has launched a bilingual digital Visitor Safety Guide designed to help residents and tourists access emergency information and prepare for natural hazards quickly.

Developed with the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) and available through the Experience Skiathos AR app, the guide draws on a 2024–26 applied research project on natural disaster management led by Professor Efthymios Lekkas. It provides scientifically based risk maps and practical preparedness advice covering earthquakes, landslides, floods, and forest fires.

For travel businesses and insurers, the guide offers visitors a central source of safety information, including designated earthquake shelters, flood-risk areas, landslide guidance for Lalaria Beach, and key emergency contacts such as the European emergency number 112.

“The protection of human life is a non-negotiable priority and a continuous responsibility for the municipal authority, which through the combination of scientific validity with digital innovation ensures a safe environment, where prevention and operational readiness are provided equally to both permanent residents and visitors,” said Skiathos Mayor Thodoris Tzoumas.

Skiathos is also strengthening its wider civil-protection planning through the representation of Greece’s island municipalities on the national Monitoring Team for the Implementation of Civil Protection Measures, established by the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection.

The municipality said the initiative aimed to improve operational preparedness, strengthen coordination, and support a more resilient, sustainable tourism model.