Evangelos Stavropoulos

President,
Greek Union of Air Travel Agencies (PETAGA)

Philoxenia 2007 greeting.

Philoxenia, just as all of the world’s tourism exhibitions and shows, consists of a very important tool for professionals in tourism.

It allows trade professionals from all over the world to meet, discuss and to get to know each other, yet, at the same time, this exhibition creates an ideal environment for the creation of new partnerships.

The emphasis that Philoxenia creates for trade professionals is especially important as the fair ensures a serene environment idyllically orientated toward professional meetings and discussions.

Naturally, for the country itself that hosts this major international tourism exhibition, the benefits are more than evident as tourism agents from all over the world get hands-on experience of the country and thus can promote it more positively to their clients.

The rich, and for many cases unexploited, cultural and environmental capital that our country provides, the only comparative advantage that will make us powerful competitors in the world tourism scene, is a factor that we must learn to respect and manage with a large sense of responsibility, notably as citizens but also as a state.

Philoxenia has embraced this philosophy and I hope the development of Philoxenia will continue until it soon takes the place it deserves among the most important of our trade exhibitions worldwide.