ITB 2014: Hoteliers Promote Thessaloniki As A Year-Round Tourism Destination

ITB 2014 – Thessaloniki Hotels Association stand: Evdokia Tsatsouri (marketing), Evelyn Christopoulou (board member), Aristotelis Thomopoulos (president) and Konstantinos Alexopoulos (vice president) with Maria Kesoglou (vice president of the Union of Tourist Guides Thessaloniki).

The Thessaloniki Hotels Association examined the potential for increasing visitor numbers to the Greek Northern city this year, during the ITB Berlin international tourism exhibition that took place 5-9 March.

The main objective of the association is to promote Thessaloniki – and all the city has to offer (gastronomy, monuments, museums, nature, short escapes) – as a year-round city break destination for German travelers.

The city’s hoteliers aim for Thessaloniki to be included in travel packages from Germany as a popular destination that:

– combines the best quality and reasonable prices,
– is accessible via direct flights from several German cities,
– has excellent climatic conditions and
– is a city for all ages and interests.

“Thessaloniki could also be preferred by senior travelers, who are able to travel throughout the year, because it is a destination that can meet their demands, while the city can also be an important stop for those who are touring Greece (round trip tourism),” the association said in an announcement.

According to the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises (SETE), arrivals from Germany are expected to rise this year between 2.5 and 2.7 million against 2.3 million in 2013. The hoteliers of Thessaloniki want to attract a percentage of these German tourists.

During ITB, the association’s administration held many meetings with representatives of travel agencies, wholesalers and PR company representatives that promote travel destinations to the German market.