The Methana peninsula is still an unknown area in tourism. In the last 20 years only a few small companies were sending clients to this scenic peninsula. Methana has to offer a lot for any interest. There are about 30 volcanoes, impressing volcanic landscapes, rare plants & animals and there are about 55 archaeological sites. The geology is one of the facts why TobiasSchorr and his friend had the idea to create the plan to do a volcanological conference on Methana. The conference took place 10-12 June and many geologists, students and people from the tourism business took place.

To create Methana as an sustainable tourism destination, a concept is needed. Tobias Schorr has been working on it - in real life - for the last 25 years. His experience in tourism as a tour guide and tour operator could help the area if his ideas are respected & supported by the local politicians and the the municipality of Troezen-Methana. He presented his ideas on the conference on 11 June.

Why is Methana attractive for tourism?

• About 30 volcanoes (better: volcanic centres!)

• Scenic landscapes

• rare plants and animals

• more than 55 sites of archaeological interest

• 13 villages

• local traditions

• ideal geographical position near Athens

• ideal climate all over the year

• a still economic level for holidays

The target and idea of the conference was to create a meeting for all geologists who were working on Methana for the last 30 years and to collect an image of the geological knowledge that already exists about Methana and the Saronic gulf. It would have been nice if a network could be created between the different groups of geologists, but the reality showed us, that there is more competition between them, than cooperation. It seems a bit like in political life. Even there are differences between them, everyone of them could help Methana in its long journey to get a GEO-PARK.
Another item of the conference was to create and collect ideas how to develop the infrastructure for sustainable kinds of (geo-)tourism, like the hiking paths or a museum that should be created in Methana. There are very good samples, how to create a volcanological museum.
The peninsula can be successful in sustainable kinds of tourism. All over the years I was guiding lots of foreign and Greek hiking groups on Methana and 99% of the visitors loved it!

It is still in the hands of the municipality of Troezen-Methana and the prefecture of Attica if they would respect, support and use the knowledge of me and the other people who were participating on this conference. The conclusion until today is disappointing.

The conference was a first step. The political connections (of the former mayor K. Karajiannis) that ruled the area took over the project and the people who were volunteers so many years were OUT. We hope that the new mayor Pollalis will handle the situation in an more effective way for the future of the area.

1 Walter D'Alessandro
Prof. Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia - Sezione di Palermo
"Hazard connected to endogenous gas emissios in Greece"

2 Dr. Prof.  Joerg Volker Dietrich
Prof. ETH, Zurich "Will the Methana volcano erupt soon?"

3 Dr. Christoph Beier
Prof. Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg/Germany
Development of ocenanic volcanism

4 Dr. Paraskevi Nomikou
Professor at University Athens
Submarine volcanism

5 Kostas Kyriakopoulos
Professor University Athens
Research on active volcanoes in Greece

6 Giorgos Chronis
Professor & President of the Greek sea research
Heavy metals in the sea

7 Christos Pallis
Former mayor of Methana & former president of GNTO (Greek National Tourist Office)
"Geo-tourism and local development", unfortunately until I know him, giving him may ideas for sustainable tourism, he was never serious interested, and lost many opportunities for Methana´s tourism.

8 Andreas Tzanis
Professor for Geophysics & Geothermy at University Athens
 Deep magmatic processes in the Argolic peninsula

9  Andreas Tzanis
Professor for Geophysics & Geothermie at University Athens
"Interne Struktur des Vulkankomplex von Methana und seinem geothermalen System: 3D-Analysen, basierend auf magnetoellurischen und aeromagnetischen Daten"

10 Tobias Schorr
Photographer, local researcher, tour operator and Methana specialist
"Geotourism as an sustainable chance for the development and protection of Methana". Video

11 Panagiotis Papadimitriou
President of the seismographic centre
Earthquakes and volcanoes

12 Christos Evangelos
Specialistz at the Hellenic Broadband Seismic Network, INSTIT. OF GEODYNAMICS,Athen
Seismographic network for Methana

13 Dimitris Protopapas
 University of Patras
Pleistocene fossils

14 Penelopi Papadopulou
University of Patras
The volcano of Sousaki

15 Giorgos Maravas
National, Kapodistrian University Athens
Seismic dangers

16 Joanna Papoulia
Greek centre for marine research
Saronic gulf seismology

17 Antonis Pavlis
Socienty of Methana people living abroad
Culture and volcanoes of Methana

18 Dr. Ingrid Smet
Geologist & volcanologist
"Methana volcanoes and their geology" PDF-file download

19 Evthymios Lekkas
Danger at volcanic areas

20 Dimitiris Paradisis
"GNSS time serials in volcanic areas

21 Marilena Christopoulou
The Nisyros volcano and the submarine volcano of Koloumbos at Santorini

22 Michalis Fytikas
Geologist, volcanologist and specialist on geothermy Α.Π.Θ.
He has designed the first modern geological map of Methana and he is supporting (not only) Methana. He was supporting all our activities for the promotion of geotourism on Methana since 2013.
"The volcanoes as a chance for developing Methana" Video

23 Dimitris Papanikolaou
Professor

The conference took place in the former building of the electricity company DEH. It was renovated in the last years by European founds and it is used for any cultural events in Methana. In August 2013 we also organized the volcanological Weekend with the socienty of young people living on Methana METHANEOI. The building would have been perfect for creating a local volcanological museum and the Greek Geological Office IGME was offering already a ready concept for it, after the successful creation of the volcanological museum on Nisyros island in 2006. The leading geologist Georgis Vougioukalakis and his team created one of the best geological museums in Greece. I  meet him first around 1993, when we were creating the geological map of Methana with the Swiss& Greek team. He was supporting my guiding of geological tours on Santorini 1997-1998 for the tour operator TUI. In that time I meet also my partner Tom Pfeiffe, whith whom I created 2005 the tour company VolcanoDiscovery and until today we are guiding volcanological tours all over the world and me specializing on the Greek volcanoes.
It is a pity, that the municipality of Methana-Troezenia under its mayor Karajiannis lost the historic chance to get a modern volcanological museum!
We do not give up and let´s hope that there will be open minded people in future to restart this idea!