Tourist Awareness in Tourism Development

The aim of this chapter is by focusing on the emerging tourism destination of Veria in Greece, to emphasize the importance of tourism awareness of the local community in achieving sustainable tourism development. In order to achieve this aim, the initiatives of the Tourism Department of the Municipality of Veria to raise tourism awareness of the local community are presented. The goal of these initiatives was to turn local residents into ambassadors for their city. Better knowledge of local points of interest and their importance, and greater familiarity with the concepts of hospitality and sustainability can lead to a behavior towards visitors that will meet their expectations and maximize their positive experiences from the destination. Findings and discussion of this case study are useful to academic researchers and organizations (DMOs, tourism bodies, community stakeholders) interested in sustainable tourism development.