With its ally luck, the Naoussa is one of the few cities in Greece that to date, at least, has not recorded a single case of coronavirus. The steps to return to everyday life, which we all knew before the spread of the coronavirus and its appearance Covid-19, are carried out by the inhabitants of the city timidly, however with the feeling of hope for a safer tomorrow to be evident in their movements.
The first fear that overwhelmed everyone has been left behind, while with the lifting of the restrictive measures and in anticipation of the operation of the catering businesses from next week, the numbness of the first days has given way to a new daily routine. Different though, but much calmer and protected than that in other cities that lived and continue to live with the presence of the coronavirus.
"Naoussa was lucky, because if you are not lucky everything else is difficult, not to have a single case and that happened because we moved very fast. We closed the common areas, we disciplined in all the orders of the experts, the people were disciplined, we had a good relationship with the citizens and maybe because of the speed we had we managed to take all those restrictive measures necessary for such cases in a very short time. "Think that we had closed all the common areas before the discussion even started to close the rest of the public spaces in Greece, such as the beach of Thessaloniki", says the mayor of the city, Nikolas Karanikolas, about how the best was achieved, and for many elusive , zero case scenario.
"Besides, the actions that were organized on the initiative of the municipality, such as the distribution of medicines and food at home - about 1.000 portions / day - with municipal cars and the substantial and real discipline shown by the majority of the city's residents contributed to this positive outcome in the city "he adds a little later.
The citizens of Naoussa seem eager to return to the pre-Koronov era and to the daily life to which they were accustomed until recently. In fact, according to an online survey conducted a few days ago by the Catering Association of city with about 1.000 participants, 75% of them will again choose the stores where they frequented, thus proving the people's trust in business. "It will certainly not be easy, but there is a willingness from all colleagues to do their best to make customers feel safe," said to newsbeast.gr Mr. Markos Migas, vice president of the Naoussa Catering Association and co-owner of an established cafe- bars in the city.
A few days before the lifting of the restrictive measures for the operation of the catering stores, the Catering Association has made several contacts with the Mayor of the city but also with the deputies of the prefecture, in an effort to raise the concerns of businessmen in the sector for financial and operational issues. That have occured. "At the level of the Municipality, there is a commitment to provide further common areas in all stores, inside and outside the urban fabric. This, in combination with the large spaces that already existed, creates a safe framework, in terms of distances ", adds Mr. Migas, regarding how safe the entertainment in the city can be from now on.
This, however, he observes about the new reality and the data that have been formed with his appearance coronavirus in our lives is that this particular pandemic will change the way we had fun until today, as it has already brought new habits and habits.
For his part, Mr. Dimitris Papakonstantinou, owner of the hotel and restaurant Sfendamos Wood Village, claims that the careful steps are the ones that will ensure a return to full normalcy. As he characteristically tells us, "our lives are now entering new habits and we will all have to adapt. Always following the instructions of the ministry, we look forward to opening our doors and doing what we love, to treat the world. Always with a positive look and step by step everything will come back. It is important at this time to be careful so that in the winter we return to normal, without a new lockdown ".
Regarding the commercial traffic in the shops of the city with the lifting of the restrictive measures, Mr. Angelos Kallis, President of the Commercial Association of Naoussa, states that “the first days were quite encouraging I would say. There was increased traffic. The question, however, is how long this increased traffic will last. Because we see that little by little there is a small subsidence. If we can continue, at least, a little lower than the initial levels we will be happy. For our part, we will try to restart our market through a new acquaintance with the consumer public of the city ". What it ends up with is the fact that all this "adventure" that our country and the whole world lived, is a good opportunity for the local markets of the cities, not only the small but also the big ones, to relive moments of glory. As he typically says "we hope that the consumer will appreciate the effort we make to offer him everything he was looking for in the big malls and to reach our customers again with optimism".
Naoussa is one of those cities that has always been a choice for quality tourism offered to its visitors. Its wonderful location at the foot of Vermio combined with the rich natural environment, the gurgling waters, the varied activities, the fine gastronomy and the famous wine but also the distances, which due to urban planning and plenty of space can be properly observed, create a complete package of holidays, which the visitor can hardly resist. Especially now that it is one of the few cities in Greece with zero cases.
This seems to be understood by the public who feel the need more than ever for real and quality holidays, according to Mr. Giannis Karabelko, owner of the hotel unit Villa Anthemia. "The phone calls we receive are exploratory, which means that there is a demand, especially for tourist accommodation such as ours, which has independent houses with direct access to the garden and fresh air. However, bookings are stable due to the extraordinary and restrictive measures that are a brake for the tourist around the world. On the other hand, the psychology of the world is positive, which is very important, so time will tell ".
The tourism that has been developing in Naoussa for years is alternative, while one would say that it is addressed more to the visitor of the city, than to the tourist. Walks on nature trails and fresh air, mountain walks, visits to wineries are some of the activities that one can enjoy here. And most important of all, beyond health insurance? Naoussa is a destination that addresses the economic potential of the many and not the few, as it is one of the destinations with the highest value for money.
"Alas if there is a person who does not like nature, the coolness, the beauty of the mountain, the relaxation, the freedom and the good wine", adds Mr. Karabelkos to highlight the whole "package" of his beautiful city. Something that Mr. Papakonstantinou also supports "Naoussa is an excellent destination as the visitor has the opportunity in just a few kilometers to do activities in the mountains, to tour the vineyards of Naoussa and to visit the dozens of wineries, to see one of the most important world heritage sites, the tombs of Vergina, but also cool off on the beaches of Katerini in just an hour ".
For those who want to avoid the crowds of the islands and enjoy nature in its grandeur, Naoussa can definitely be a choice. And in fact safe, as everything shows it has all those features to be able to offer its visitors relaxation and carefree in the context of security they are looking for.
"We have Vermio, 3-5 Pigadia, Agios Nikolas. We have already planned some mountain walks, visits to wineries, that is, we are developing another type of tourism, so that one can safely have a good time some days that he wants to escape. Naoussa is clearly a safe destination at this time. "Nothing is accidental and I think that with these actions taken by the municipality we will be able to welcome any visitors safely and with this relaxation that everyone is looking for during their holidays", the Mayor of the city comments on the subject.
While, according to Mr. Migga, "the world has made a turn towards nature, sports, fresh air. Naoussa is the destination where you will find all this in abundance. Combined with the fact that to date no case has occurred, we are given an opportunity to make a new start to promote our city, as a safe and beautiful destination. History has shown that man always found refuge in nature in such situations. Naoussa is nature ".