Next Step for Greek Tourism: Adaptation to Digital Economy

Adapting to the digital economy through upgrades, training, and investments are a key priority if the Greek tourism sector wishes to keep up its momentum and remain competetive, said Deputy Tourism Minister Manos Konsolas on Tuesday, during the Digi.travel EMEA Conference & Expo held in Athens.

“The adaptation of tourism to the digital economy is a one-way street. It’s the way that leads to a Greece of creation, extroversion and development. It’s the way of tomorrow,” said Konsolas, noting that more than half of all bookings are made online, while the majority of visitors to Greece – particularly among the younger crowds – gather information about destinations and travel experiences on the web.

According to estimates, Konsolas said revenues from online reservations in 2020 are expected to exceed 800 billion dollars.

Konsolas went on to add that the digital upgrade of Greek tourism services were at the top of the ministry’s strategy, including everything from information and booking to trade and safety of transactions.

Key to achieving this goal, he underlines, is modernizing training and education of current tourism stakeholders as well as of future professionals. The minister went on to mention efforts being made in this direction with a focus on creating added value to the Greek tourism product through the improvement and provision of new services by specialized professionals.

GTP Headlines was a media sponsor of this year’s Digi.travel EMEA Conference & Expo.