Chambers Gear Up to Promote Northern Greece as All-year Tourist Pick

Thessaloniki

Five chambers of Northern Greece have teamed up to discuss ways to promote the region as a tourist destination during a workshop on April 1 to be held at the Thessaloniki Concert Hall.

Titled “Northern Greece: 365 Days of Tourism”, the day event is a joint initiative of the American-Hellenic, the British Hellenic, the Greek-French, Hellenic-German and the Italian-Hellenic chambers, to explore the potential of the region, which they say is lagging behind in terms of international recognition as a tourist destination. The goal is to exchange knowhow and to tap into ways to establish Northern Greece as a leading tourist option.

The organizers stress that despite being home to the popular Halkidiki peninsula, the destination operates on five- or six-month basis despite having all the facilities in place to welcome tourists all year round. The northern port city of Thessaloniki, meanwhile, is also a case in point, failing to bring in the tourist numbers “it deserves” based on its long history, numerous monuments and diverse natural offerings and rich cultural identity, sector professionals say.

Another issue to top the April 1 agenda will be getting through the borders via road tourism, which has become difficult due to the ongoing refugee crisis and the resultant border controls.