Key Tourism Figures 2019: Harry Theoharis, Minister of Tourism

Greece as a brand will evolve to depict our repositioning as a top global destination

More and more foreign tourists are visiting Greece. But we must not only focus on the country’s arrival numbers.

Our ambition is to shape a wider footprint for Greek tourism in terms of product, place and time.

Apart from our traditional mix of sun, sea and sand – we invite guests to explore Greece during the autumn, winter and spring, with new amazing experiences in the fields of wellbeing, gastronomy, sports and adventure, culture and history and modern lifestyle.

Greece as a brand will also evolve to depict our repositioning as a top global destination. The strategic goal now is to spread visitors in terms of time and space and attract visitors who spend above average. Also to strengthen our international position in the global tourism market and to create long-term benefits by investing in the high quality and competitive tourism offerings of our country.

To create more jobs and income.

[column col=”1/2″]

[/column]

[column col=”1/2″ last=”true”]

…We must not only focus on the country’s arrival numbers. Our ambition is to shape a wider footprint for Greek tourism in terms of product, place and time…

[/column]

Our strategy includes:

• Improve tourism education in Greece with a focus on upgrading the level of studies covering hospitality.
• Using storylines to tempt tourists to go to different places in Greece.
• Promoting Greece by means of cultural and regional themes.
• Specific “themes” such as wellness or luxury are used to add value and to extend the typical sun & beach holidays
• Nautical tourism, both in terms of attracting a larger amount of cruise liners and in terms of extending the offering for yachting/ sailing holidays.
• Cultural and religious tourism, upgrading and leveraging the several historical, heritage and religious monuments and museums of Greece.

Also, the competitive advantages of Greece, such as rich cultural heritage, natural beauty and geographical variety, have been attracting significant tourism investments in recent years, thus further strengthening Greece’s image as an ideal destination both for holidays and tourism-related investments. In this effort, we want the support of all, productive forces and of the private sector.