SETE: How To Turn Greek Gastronomy Into A Memorable Travel Experience

SETE event at HORECA 2014 – The event took place to promote the initiative that sees gastronomy united with the marketing of Greek tourism.

“Greek gastronomy has many strengths, with quality raw materials and local cuisine creations in the lead, but it needs to be promoted through an integrated marketing communications plan,” a panel of tourism and culinary experts agreed during an event held on the sidelines of the recent 9th HORECA Expo in Athens.

The event, organized by the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises (SETE), included an open and productive discussion on the competitive advantages of Greek gastronomy that should be focused on so tourists visiting the country would be left with a memorable travel experience.

During the discussion, the strong points of Greek gastronomy and the ways in which professionals and agencies could use those points to their advantage and offer travelers an experience to remember, were analyzed.

Greek gastronomy is not only available in Crete and Santorini

Dakos (or “Greek bruschetta”): A traditional meze (light meal) of the island of Crete.

The panel discussion looked at key issues necessary for the promotion of the country’s gastronomy and concluded that, with the exception of Crete and Santorini, the rest of Greece’s gastronomy remains “hidden” from travelers.

Greek tourism and culinary experts agreed that raw materials, healthy eating, seafood, the art of the Greek meze (light meal), the flavor-destination connection and the use of myths are prominent features of Greek gastronomy.

Local businesses must get into the game

According to the experts, in order for travelers to Greece to experience a memorable culinary experience, local businesses must network, train and collaborate.

During the event, it was announced Marketing Greece would launch a special promotion of Greek gastronomy through its new website discovergreece.com.

SETE’s event was held to promote a campaign that sees gastronomy united with the marketing of Greek tourism. The association has called for professionals to unite and enhance the country’s travel experience through a powerful competitive advantage: gastronomy, in all its aspects. For more information (in Greek), press here.