Anastasios Liaskos

Deputy Minister of Tourism

Philoxenia 2005 greeting.

Tourism has been developing as a strong financial base of our national economy. Meanwhile, competition increases worldwide in this modern “tourist era” and new destinations make grand entrances into the tourism market. Thus, the improvement of quality for the development of the competitiveness of Greek tourism emerges as a priority goal and denotes our actions and goals.

The new administration has quickly forged the machinery and processed the interventions that compose the new structure of Greek tourism. We have been making an effort to gain the lost ground of the last few years by modifications and actions as well as by effectively facing the structural crisis, which infests the tourism sector. A new positive perspective is being, at the same time, created. Already, the initial results have justified our efforts and encourage us to move on to reforms with a quicker pace.

Tourism in our country needs to be led to a new path having as a goal the emergence of Greece as a major destination, combining quality with both environment and culture. For this reason, the basic core of our tourism policy is dedicated to the enhancement of quality as well as the expansion and enrichment of the Greek tourism product.

The new tourism policy attempts to bring out a new tourism identity, which establishes the uniqueness of Greek destinations and ensures their national identification.

The national exhibition “Philoxenia,” which consists of an institution for our country, is a promotional step and an opportunity for cooperation among all tourism organizations and businessmen. I wish the organizers and the exhibitors the utmost success in their endeavors.