Marilena Stathopoulou, Manager Tourhotel

Official Tourism Message

The Greek tourism sector has achieved many things so far which we need to carry on. I see that many young professionals have the motivation and enthusiasm to work hard to carry forward for what we have achieved and I am therefore optimistic about the future of Greek tourism.

Greece has a very important advantage over other competing destinations. We offer an authentic product and service; a wealth of natural beauty, cultural heritage, and unique experiences centered on wellness, gastronomy, and athletics to name a few. Greece, with its small size, should not become a destination for mass/ low cost tourism. On the contrary we should concentrate to make Greece a destination that provides exactly this authentic service to its guests with a “boutique” character. I think Greece should be promoted as a destination that is ideal for smaller groups with higher level special interests such as religion, yoga, ecology, and agricultural tourism as an example. In other words a destination for unique experiences that will function as a supplement to the classical image (that is to say the image of archaeological sites and sea).

With the right communication and branding, Greece can deliver the correct message and become the top destination choice year round. Of course this should also be supported by high level services so that the traveler has an overall, consistent experience. It is important to understand that this experience starts from the guests’ dreaming – planning process, extends to the actual experience in Greece and follows the guests when they return home. We, hoteliers, should make this whole process a priority and invest in the enhancement of our services towards that goal. Additionally the participation in big travel shows such as Philoxenia expo and WTM in London is of paramount importance in order to promote a positive image to our foreign partners and travelers who haven’t been to Greece yet.

I am very confident that we can all contribute to make Greece a year round destination.