Greece Receives ‘Bright Exhibiting’ Award at Russia’s MITT 2021 Expo

MITT Managing Director Artem Chernyshev and the head of the GNTO office in Russia and CIS Polykarpos Efstathiou.

Greece received the “Bright Exhibiting” award at the Moscow International Travel and Tourism Exhibition – MITT 2021 that is taking place as a live event at the Crocus Expo City in Russia until March 18.

The award was received by the head of the Greek National Tourism Organization’s (GNTO) office in Russia and CIS Polykarpos Efstathiou from MITT Managing Director Artem Chernyshev, during an event on Wednesday.

Following a year of absence from Russia due to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, Greece returned to MITT 2021 as a partner country with a 153sq.m. stand featuring the motto of its new tourism advertising campaign “All you want is Greece”.

The stand hosts five co-exhibitors active in the Russian market including Mouzenidis Travel and TEZ Tour.

“Greece is among the most popular destinations for Russian travelers. Local tourism professionals and tour operators specializing in Greek destinations estimate that if health circumstances allow it, Greece will welcome 400,000 – 500,000 Russian travelers this year,” the GNTO said in an announcement.

On the opening day of MITT on march 16, Greek Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis sent a message to tour operators and journalists in which he highlighted that “Greece will be fully prepared” to offer quality and safe hospitality services to its visitors through a detailed strategy for the re-opening of tourism.

“Luxury travel, wellness, pilgrimage tourism and the ‘sea and sun’ traditionally win the hearts of our friends from Russia,” the minister said.

He also expressed his optimism that Greece could welcome even more “happy travelers” from Russia this year.

“We have all worked hard to create the conditions so that Greece could become the ideal vacation choice for this summer,” he added.

According to the GNTO, Russia’s MITT 2021 exhibition welcomed 50 regions of the Russian Federation and 15 national missions, as well as over 18,000 representatives of the Russian and international tourism industry.