GNTO, Ministry, Regions Meet to Lay out Tourism Plan

The Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) and 13 regional authorities met with Alternate Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura on Tuesday, to discuss the actions to be taken for the effective promotion of Greek tourism in 2016.

Priorities laid out during the meeting include the launch of targeted actions as of January, which will promote year-round tourism as well as extending the tourist season from March 1 to November 30 initially in the regions of the Southern Aegean and Crete, mainly due to fine weather conditions.

The minister, GNTO delegates and regional authorities also agreed to reach out to the Russian market on occasion of the “Cross-year Greece and Russia” in 2016, with a series of events in efforts to bring in Russian travelers.

At the same time, the tourism ministry is working with the interior ministry to ensure the rapid issue of biometric visas to travelers from non-Schengen countries.