Dimitris Fragakis
Secretary General of the Greek National Tourism Organization.
This year again the Greek National Tourism Organization is delighted to welcome the 9th Athens International Tourism & Culture Expo, a key exhibition for incoming tourism which puts on the spotlight not only the city of Athens but the entire country as well. It positions Greece in the global tourism and MICE market and encourages trade opportunities.
It actually represents a productive meeting place of the top international tourism businesses, hosting more than 9000 B2B meetings between exhibitors and hosted byers. The 9th Athens International Tourism & Culture Expo is a successful constitution which aims at the extraversion of Greek tourism, empowers the strategic growth of our tourism industry and drastically contributes to the touristic promotion of Greece.
2022 proves to be a milestone year for Greek tourism. Apparently, this year’s revenue will exceed the record – breaking income as registered back in 2019. Thanks to Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis who led a coherent and effective project alongside with all the tourism sector stakeholders, we managed in only two years’ time since March 2020 when the pandemic started, from the absolute zero to completely regain our country’s biggest productive activity.
Obviously 2023 will be a particularly competitive year, challenging yet auspicious. The strategic plan we are currently working on, aims on boosting our country’s brand name and invests on the authenticity of a travel experience one may live in the whole country any time of the year.
For us, it is of crucial importance to expand the duration of our tourism product in favor of the society. In effect, our 2023 promotional campaign supports this sustainable goal.
My own view to the matter is that the perspectives of the Greek tourism are very promising. Greece’s tourism industry keeps evolving and our country holds a unique product to offer to the world.
As long as state, local and statutory authorities, enterprises and professionals work in close collaboration we will thrive once again!
CONSTANTINOS I. MOUTZOURIS
GOVERNOR OF NORTH AEGEAN REGION
Former Rector of the National Technical University of Athens
ATHENS INTERNATIONAL TOURISM EXPO 2022 is one of the most important events in the field of Tourism, an organization of high aesthetics and cultural value inviting us all to participate in the promotion of the modern cultural identity of our country, which was shaped by the methexis of Ancient Greek Civilization and time, in the course of evolution.
An eternal common path of Art and Philosophy, illuminated by a civilization which the nine Muses and the philosophers of antiquity have not ceased to vivify, thus affecting the National Community. A Civilization signifying the contemporary identity of our country through discourse and works, traced in the surviving archaeological relics and in the modern culture of Greek Society.
I would like to wish every success to Greece and the North Aegean, participating in this exceptional exhibition of coexistence and promotion of Ancient and Modern Greece under a common objective, the promotion of the Cultural identity and the Greek culture as a unique tourist product of high quality.
