Cities of Thessaloniki and Ioannina Team Up to Promote Tourism

Epirus, Ioannina. Photo © kostasgr / Shutterstock

Thessaloniki. Photo © Anastasios71

In their efforts to boost tourism and promote their cities as prime tourist destinations, the northern Greece municipalities of Thessaloniki and Ioannina signed a memorandum of cooperation before laying out the groundwork for a common strategy during a day event held last week.

Organized by the municipality of Ioannina, the event included the exchange of ideas and proposals, the presentation of Ioannina’s promotional campaign, a panel discussion with sector professionals and experts concerning the shared goals of the two municipal authorities as well as pre-arranged B2B meetings between local professionals. City authorities examined, meanwhile, offering combined package deals that will include stays in both cities.

“As Greece leaves the crisis behind, it is vital that local government be active and resourceful. It should participate actively in the broader effort to develop the full potential of each region, fostering the suitable environment and infrastructure for growth,” Ioannina Mayor Thomas Begas said.

Referring to the efforts made for the promotion of Ioannina, its Deputy Mayor for Tourism Nikos Golas referred to the city’s promotional campaign under the motto: “One City… Many Destinations”.

“We found that there is a common spirit and we can work together to develop a common strategy… in this effort, we want strong partners with a shared understanding,” Deputy Thessaloniki Mayor for Tourism, Spiros Pengas, said of the tourism “alliance” between the two municipalities.