Pavlos Yeroulanos

Fmr Culture and Tourism Minister

PHILOXENIA 2011 greeting.

“Greece provides a unique way of life; a way of life that puts forth values that have been tested through time. So it is not surprising that many of those who visit our country are people who have been exposed to these values through their schooling and their studies.

Our history, our tradition, as well as our climate are firmly related to this way of life. It, thus, comes as no surprise that Greece has returned as a preferred destination, at a time when the crisis is forcing us all to rethink what we believe in and what we stand for.

In this light, our Ministry’s strategic objective is to put Greece among the top 10 global destinations by 2021. To achieve this, we have created an alliance of stakeholders—public and private—who are working to reposition the Greek tourism industry on a new, solid and highly competitive ground. We are moving on that path at a rapid rate.

Step by step the world is reminded that our country can offer a great variety of experiences. Every season of the year, throughout the country, in major cities and rural areas there are unique experiences waiting for the visitor to enjoy. Experiences made extraordinary by the people who will welcome our visitors.

The past two years we have pursued and witnessed a growing interest by visitors from new source markets. Whether from our own neighbourhood or from countries far away, we are welcoming thousands of people who are just joining the millions of existing travelers. During the last few years alone Greece has successfully doubled and tripled its share of visitors from emerging markets. Substantial increases from Russia, Turkey, Israel, China, and the Ukraine confirm that Greece constitutes a preferred choice for these travelers.

Tourism is a rapidly growing industry and can become a development model for our country. Our capacity to mobilize resources and offer what travelers seek at the time they seek it has been instrumental in bringing Greece back on the forefront of tourism growth. We shall continue on this path.

Believing that publications such as the Greek Travel Pages contribute to this effort, I congratulate the publisher for her initiative.”