Kefalogiannis: “Greece is going through a great tourist year”

“Greece is going through a great tourism year, with remarkable performances in all important fields – revenues, jobs, arrivals”, said Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni from London and the international tourism exhibition World Travel Market in London, among others.

In the usual press conference, the Minister of Tourism referred to the responsibilities that this successful course that started a decade ago for Greek tourism brings, as well as to the fact that Greece is now ready for a new page in its tourism strategy. In fact, he spoke of a new cycle of development and mainly of the essential shift towards sustainability and the promotion of values ​​such as the protection of nature, respect for local communities and the human factor. Highlighting all these special values ​​will once again make Greece a protagonist in the international ranking of tourist destinations and experiences, he explained. During the press conference, a discussion was held with ABTA’s Head of Sustainability Ms. Carol Rose on sustainability, new trends in tourism and Greece’s position in the international tourism market of sustainable destinations.

In the meantime, the Minister of Tourism held working meetings with important personalities from the field of politics, the tourism market and the media. Mrs Kefalogianni met with her British counterpart John Whittingdale (Minister of State Media & Data of the UK). During the meeting, they discussed the importance of the Great Britain tourist market for Greek tourism and exchanged views on drawing up a cooperation framework for the future. This was followed by a meeting with the heads of Jet2, who include many Greek tourist destinations in the 2024 programs. At the same time, Mrs. Kefalogianni attended the Minister’s Summit, the meeting of all Ministers of Tourism that takes place every year in the context of WTM.

Among other things, the Minister of Tourism met with the head of the travel organization Queer Destinations, Edwar Weggelaar, stressing that the promotion of political inclusion and equality with an emphasis on the LGBTQ community is part of the National Strategy to combat any kind of discrimination. This was followed by a meeting with the Deputy Minister of Tourism of Cyprus, Costas Koumis, and an interview with the CNN journalist, Richard Quest. A substantial meeting was also held with the board of ABTA, with which the minister discussed the new trends in tourist demand.

It is noted that Ms. Kefalogianni gave an interview to the British media at WTM’s International Media Center, which for the occasion had been transformed into a Greek island.