Thessaly’s Trails Presented at TourNatur Expo in Germany

The stand of the Region of Thessaly at the TourNatur 2019, with Tasos Gousios, Alpha Marketing; Vicky Stroubou, Director of the GNTO office in Germany; and Maria Papaconstantinou, Consul of North Rhine Westphalia.

The hiking trails of Thessaly in Greece were promoted to German professionals and potential visitors during the TourNatur 2019 alternative tourism exhibition, held during September 6-8 in Düsseldorf, Germany.

The Region of Thessaly participated in the exhibition as a co-exhibitor at the Greek stand which was managed by the Greek National Tourism Organization’s (GNTO) office in Germany.

According to an announcement, the Region participated in the expo aiming to highlight its destinations as ideal for hiking tourism, which is particularly popular with German travelers. Surveys have indicated that more than 52 percent of the Germans participate in organized hiking tours at the destinations where they choose to spend their holidays.

During the exhibition, a complete presentation on all the trails in Thessaly were presented to an audience of professionals and potential visitors by Tasos Gousios, a tourism expert and the head of Alpha Marketing, a Greek company that provides integrated marketing and communication services to destinations.

Tourism in Thessaly is on the up

Regarding this year’s tourist flow in Thessaly, Gousios informed GTP Headlines that satisfactory numbers have been recorded.

“This season, the Region’s classic tourism destinations – Skiathos, Skopelos, Alonissos and Pelion – saw an increase in visitors… Meteora also experienced a rise, along with the coasts of Larissa,” he said.

Ηiking trail mark, Skiathos, Thessaly. Photo © GTP

Regarding the city of Larissa specifically, Gousios informed that overnights seem to have recuperated in comparison with the previous season, while a rise has also been recorded regarding the organization of conferences and events.

“This rise is also supported by the actions of the Municipality and the Region that sponsor sports and cultural events in Thessaly,” he told GTP Headlines.

Regarding the presence of the Region at TourNatur 2019, Gousios informed that many German travel agents and sector professionals showed a high interest in Thessaly’s hiking destinations and he invited local entrepreneurs to boost their promotion efforts to the German market.

Photo source: Messe Düsseldorf GmbH

Organized by Messe Düsseldorf, TourNatur 2019 saw more than 45,000 friends of hiking, trekking and outdoor activities in Hall 6 on the three days of the fair, to gather information from 250 tourism providers, manufacturers, dealers and destinations from all over the world.