‘Greek Tourism Workshop’ Events to Introduce Greece to Arab and Asian Markets in 2018

Greek Tourism Workshop event in Jeddah.

Greece in 2018 will be promoted to tourism professionals in India, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Lebanon through workshops that will aim to boost annual arrivals to the country from the high-spending Arab and Asian markets.

Media and events company Congress Business Planners announced on Wednesday that it will kick off its “Greek Tourism Workshop 2018” events from Delhi on January 22 and continue on to the cities of Kuwait (February 21), Riyadh (March 21), Dubai (April 21) and Beirut (May 2).

Organized in cooperation with Tourism Today Events and Mideast Travel, the events also aim to foster the conditions for profitable partnerships between Greek companies and enterprises from the Arab and Asian markets.

The selection of the specific countries was based on the interest shown by professionals from the aforementioned markets for the Greek tourism product. Moreover, a significant number of Greek enterprises are interested in entering the markets of India, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Lebanon.

During the Greek Tourism Workshop 2018 events, destinations from Greece will be presented to a select audience of local tourism professionals and media outlets. Participating Greek companies will be able to present their products through B2B meetings with local travel agents and tour operators.

Congress Business Planners is co-organizing the Greek Tourism Workshop 2018 events with Mideast Travel and Tourism Today Events: Elina Argyri (Mideast Travel), Haris Ntigrintakis (Tourism Today), Despoina Ouzouni (Greek Tourism Workshop) and Katerina Mousbeh (Mideast Travel).

Already, many Greek tourism companies and representatives of destinations have registered to participate in the events.

Congress Business Planners said that the workshops will take place for the fourth consecutive year in markets that lack advertising of the Greek tourism product, although there is much interest from the public to travel to Greece.

Interest for travel to Greece from Arab, Asian markets

According to Congress Business Planners, Lebanese tourist arrivals to Greece increased by 30 percent in 2016 compared to the year before, with growth continuing in 2017. Aegean Airlines currently connects Beirut to Athens and (in the summer months) Mykonos and Heraklion. Also, 16 weekly charter flights to the South Aegean and Crete took place this year.

Regarding the Saudi Arabian market, the number of visas issued by the Greek Embassy in Riyadh for travel to Greece this year has doubled. Meanwhile, Saudia Airlines is currently in talks with Athens Airport for the launch of direct flights to and from Athens as of next spring. Greece is currently connected with Saudi Arabia through direct flights by Aegean Airlines and Air Mediterranean.

Moreover, over the past two years the markets of the Arab Emirates and Kuwait are showing an increased interest for travel to Greece.

A Kuwaiti airline is said to be in talks with Greece to launch flights to Athens in the summer of 2018. “Kuwait’s interest in Greece is not only about Athens but is also spread over other Greek destinations that retain the features of shopping, entertainment, gastronomy and quality hospitality,” Congress Business Planners said.

According to the company, India is also another promising market for Greece although there are no direct flights connecting the two countries.

The “Greek Tourism Workshop 2018” events are held under the support of the Greek National Tourism Organization.