Evangelos Stavropoulos

President,
Greek Union of Air Travel Agencies

Philoxenia 2008 greeting.

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

This exhibition creates an ideal environment for the creation of new partnerships as it allows trade professionals from all over the world to meet, discuss and to get to know each other.

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.

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 wealth that our country possesses, which is a comparative advantage that makes us powerful competitors on the world tourism scene, is a resource 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 it will continue to do so as it develops and takes the place it deserves among the most important of our trade exhibitions worldwide.