Abstract: The Kerkini – Belles – Sidirokastro area, a border region of Northern Greece,
has found its place on the map of ecotourist destinations only in the last decade.
The creation and development of accommodation, alternate sport activities, the
exploitation of mineral water resources (thermal springs), the creation of
institutions for the protection and the enhancement of lake Kerkini, the
emergence and promotion of local the products, the environmental education
offered to visitors, especially younger ones, give the area the character of an
“integrated” and complete agrotourism destination. The main reference points of
this wider region are Lake Kerkini, an important wetland with rich bird life,
protected by the Ramsar and Natura 2000 Conventions, as well as the natural
thermal spas in Sidirokastro and Agistro. In the last decade there has been renewed investment activity regarding for the
most part the establishment of small hotels and hostels, which in addition to
hospitality are also active in the traditional food and beverage sector, the
alternative sporting activities and the environmental awareness – education.
All of these companies are family oriented, as proven by the commitment of time
and the employment of the businesspeople themselves, as well as that of their
family members. According to several surveys, one in five new small businesses
close in the second year of operation, while 50% of them stops working in 5 -7
years after their establishment. In the region examined, until now, no company
has discontinued its operations.
In this paper we attempt to analyze the financial data of a representative sample
of businesses, in order to draw conclusions about their viability. In particular, we
focus our attention on sales by segment (hospitality, catering and other
activities), the related costs and the operating profits. Our sample consists of
twelve small and medium size enterprises, whose financial data cover the three
year period 2006 - 2008. All financial data is obtained from those enterprises’
financial statements, as kept by their accountants - auditors and are submitted to
the tax authorities.