Promoting Greece High on Tourism Minister’s ITB Berlin Agenda

On the occasion of the ITB 2019 trade show, Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura will visit Berlin, Germany, with a full agenda that includes her participation in major industry events to represent Greece and her attendance in a number of scheduled meetings to promote new partnerships this year.

The ITB Berlin exhibition will run from Wednesday, March 6 until Sunday, March 10, at the Messe Berlin fairgrounds.

On the first day of the exhibition, Minister Kountoura will inaugurate the Visit Greece (Greek National tourism Organization – GNTO) stand — Hall 1.1/101, 101A — on Wednesday and then host a special presentation of the Greek Breakfast initiative with the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels.

The minister will also attend the screening of Greece’s new tourism promotional campaign “Oh My Greece | Unlock the Feeling”, launched by Marketing Greece and supported by the ministry and the GNTO.

The two events are aimed at major German tourism professionals.

During ITB Berlin, Minister Kountoura will attend the 9th UNWTO Silk Road Ministers Meeting, which will focus on collaborative opportunities and tourism projects aimed at strengthening regional cohesion. Organized by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and supported by ITB Berlin, participating countries will outline their ideas and initiatives with the vision of making the historic Silk Roads a modern-day tourism reality.

A supporter of the Silk Road initiatove, the Greek minister will also have a meeting with UNWTO Secretary General Zurab Pololikashvili Poolikasvili and further continue their discussions on strengthening cooperation.

During ITB, the minister will also attend the Board meeting of the Mediterranean Tourism Foundation (MTF), which will focus on a range of topics, including ways to improve the position of women in Mediterranean societies through tourism. Minister Kountoura was recently elected as an honorary member of the foundation.

She is also invited to attend, as an honorary member, the Board meeting of the Global Tourism Resilience & Crisis Management Center (GTRCM), a new tourism resource center dedicated to conducting policy-relevant research and analysis on destination preparedness, management and recovery due to disruptions and crises that impact tourism.

Moreover, a formal meeting between Minister Kountoura and Egyptian Tourism Minister Rania Al-Mashat will take place with a focus on bilateral cooperation issues.

The minister’s agenda also includes meetings with the heads of TUI and Thomas Cook, two of Germany’s leading tour operators that believe highly in Greece and its tourism potential.

On the sidelines of the ITB Berlin expo, the Greek minister will receive an award at the IIPTI Global Awards “Celebrating Her”, for leading Greece’s Tourism Strategy and Resilience.

The minister has also been nominated to receive two awards by the Pacific Area Travel Writers Association (PATWA); one in the Best Tourism Minister – Worldwide category and the other in the category of Best Tourism Policy.

GTP will be at ITB Berlin 2019. Updates can be found through our special ITB Berlin 2019 section.