HECTOR: enHancing protECTion Of touristic sites in euRope – Union of Bulgarian Black Sea Local Authorities

Internal Security Fund ISF-2022-TF1-AG-PROTECT-02-others

HECTOR: enHancing protECTion Of touristic sites in euRope

Grant Agreement No. 101100558

Project consortium:

HELLENIC POLICE (Funds & Strategy Coordination Office), Greece – project coordinator
KENTRO MELETON ASFALEIAS (KE.ME.A), Greece
MUNICIPALITY OF MYKONOS (MM), Greece
MAJOR DEVELOPMENT AGENCY THESSALONI (MDAT SA), Greece
ETAIREIA ANAPTYXIS KAI TOURISTIKIS PROVOLIS ATHINON – ANAPTYXIAKI ANONYMOS ETAIREIA ORGANISMOU TOPIKIS AFTODIOIKISIS (ADDMA SA), Greece
Jewish Community of Thessaloniki (Jewish Com), Greece
Louis Hotels Public Co Ltd (Royal Apo), Cyprus
ATHENS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT S.A. (AIA), Greece
Cyprus Police (CP), Cyprus
European Federation of Tourist Guide Associations (FEG), France
UNION OF BULGARIAN BLACK SEA LOCAL AUTHORITIES (UBBSLA), Bulgaria
UNIVERSITY OF WEST ATTICA (UNIWA), Greece
THESSALONIKI PORT AUTHORITY OLTH AE TH (THPA SA), Greece
RAID (RAID), France
BRINK’S HERMES SECURITY SERVICES ANONYMI ETAIREIA – IDIOTIKI EPIXEIRISI PAROXIS YPIRESION ASFALEIAS (BRINKS security), Greece
KOMENDA GLOWNA POLICJI (KGP (NPH)), Poland
Limassol Marina Ltd (Limassol Marina), Cyprus
Hertz Autohellas ATEE (HERTZ), Greece

Duration: 24 months (01.12.2023 – 31.11.2025)

Budget: 2.089.198,53 EUR / EU Grant 1.880.278,61 EUR

Funded: ISF-2022-TF1-AG-PROTECT Internal Security Fund: Call for proposals for actions on the protection of public spaces

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Tourism is a cornerstone of European cohesion due to the fact that Europe plays a leading role globally in this sector – hosting more than 700 million tourists a year – thus contributing both to its economic development, and to the preservation of its cultural identity. However, tourist sites consist not only attractive destination and areas of focus for visitors, but also for terrorists, or terrorist organizations. This steams from the fact that tourist sites attract huge number of people – entailing contextual diversity – they are easily accessible, and they present limited security measures. A potential terrorist attack against them, may produce grave consequences (economic, societal, security, etc.), because it would include the (sought by the terrorists) symbolism, it could injure social cohesion and public trust to the EU states, and it would have international dimension (victims from many countries).

HECTOR project aims: to create an holistic approach for the protection of tourism infrastructure throughout Europe, that will include actions deriving from the cooperation between the private and public sector (SOPs, recommendations, guidelines, tools, management protocols and good practices at all levels of safety, security), thus merging the elements of specific experience and expertise from several stakeholders (LEAs, municipalities, academia, tourism operators, private security company, university, etc.), with both the strategic priorities of the EU regarding the protection of public spaces, and the EU developed tools, methods and recommendations in this area.

During HECTOR, there will be achieved the following objectives:

Introduction of the relevant stakeholders to an innovative methodology regarding the conduction of Vulnerability Assessments with the utilization of EU tools, tailored to the tourism industry. Results: 40 trained Security Risk Assessment Group (SRAG) members, 10 Vulnerability Assessments
Development of a common (EU) Security Model Plan for tourism. Results: 10 incidents from terrorist attacks on touristic sites assessment, 10 use cases development, 10 security plans for the assessed sites, crisis management plan, SOPs, recommendation, 2 sites studies for security by design
Create tourism raise awareness material. Results: 3 videos in 27 EU + 2 non languages, set of brochures/presentations/leaflets (min 2000 copies), TTX with 5 different scenarios/phases for internal awareness
Design and implement a European Raise Awareness Campaign. Results: 1 x 30 participants training, 2 awareness events from each HUB with 50 participants, 500 operator’s members join the network to each country, 100 participants and 1000 live viewers to mass media event, 1 poster to every touristic site of the project, 30 QR posters – 2000 safEU users
Development of a common (EU wide) approach and security mentality. Results: 5 training centers establishment, 1 e-learning platform, 3 VR Modules, 50 trained trainers, 6 training curricula with multimedia content, 6 joint trainings x 30 participants x 5 countries: 900 trained personnel from LEAs, municipalities, private security, public spaces and tourist sites-events operators
Upgrade of physical and technological protection measures both in selected sites, and within the participating countries. Results: 1 set of portable security equipment for every country, proposed state of the art overview security solutions: 10 use cases with 5 different measures, giving 5 solutions for every of each
Development of a common EU culture regarding the protection of tourist sites and events, among all relevant stakeholders, enhancing the cooperation on all levels. Results: 150 participants (30 each country) during the TTX exercise, 250 participants (50 each country) during the field phase, 500 observers, Interdisciplinary WS in every participating country

Project Activities:

During the project, vulnerability assessments (VAs) will be carried out in 10 different tourist places, covering the whole range of tourist activities. The VAs, will be carried to: 1. Athens International Airport, the largest Airport in Greece and the 15th-busiest airport in Europe, 2. Port of Thessaloniki, that can be considered as small city, as it hosts concerts and events, as well a large number of visitors to the surrounding stores coming from cruise ships, 3. Lyon’s Old Town, pedestrian area – square, inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage List, attracting tourists from all countries to all its public spaces, 4. Mykonos Island, an emblematic location, inextricably linked to nightlife, with plenty of entertainment venues, where during the summer months there is intense traffic in the public areas of the island, 5. Varna city, a place with high touristic interest, coasted by miles of the Black Sea and seaside resorts, 6. Jewish Museum and Holocaust is Religious and archaeological site with high attendance (200.000p/y), while a monument of 40m euros will be constructed, giving the opportunity for security by design study, 7. Limassol Marina is a high touristic interest place in the Mediterranean Sea, hosting different recreational services (shops, restaurants etc) with many everyday visitors, 8. Louis Group – Apollonia provides a full touristic experience with 2 cruise ships, 26 luxury hotels and restaurants and 2000 personnel, hosting more than 200.000 visitors p/y, (9) Archaeological site of the surrounding of the Athens Acropolis area, a large part of the ancient Athenian history is concentrated while attracting millions of tourists annually and (10) Krakow square where as a winter destination, its’ Christmas Market is a highlight of the area.
Capitalizing the knowledge will be produces SOPs, recommendations, security and crisis management plans, security by design and physical security guidance and overview of the state of the art technology solutions.
Composition of the Security Model Plan for tourist sites and infrastructures within Europe. The action will be complemented by a series of joint specialized trainings and the supply of logistical equipment, aiming at creating a common understanding and maximizing the interoperability of the involved stakeholders.
Emblematic is the implementation of an EU-wide awareness campaign on the safety of tourists and workers in this sector, as well as the sealing of their cooperation through the safEU Platform that will provide to them (citizens) an active role to safety and security initiatives.
The project is completed with the conduction of an anti-terrorist response exercise which will test the produced security system during multiple terrorist attacks in sequence around the Europe, and within the places where the protective measures were taken during the project.