Thessaloniki MICE Organizers Call for Covid-19 Health Protocols

UPDATE: Greek Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis announced on Thursday night that the health protocols for conferences and events should be announced in the coming days.

Conference and events tourism organizers in Thessaloniki are calling on the government to accelerate the announcement of Covid-19 health protocols that will enable the launch of MICE tourism.

The Thessaloniki Convention Bureau (TCB) call comes after the Hellenic Association of Professional Congress Organizers (HAPCO) urged the government to support and promote the MICE industry, which has suffered a massive blow due to the Covid-19 crisis.

In its announcement this week, the TCB underlines the importance of taking immediate actions to support conference and events companies which have remained closed for over a year with activity down by up to 90 percent.

“The conference market is suffocating, the need to announce health protocols is imperative,” said the TCB calling on government officials to incorporate the proposals of industry representatives in the protocols so that the “conditions and restrictions allow for the viability of conference activity”.

The TCB went on to express its dissatisfaction with the foot-dragging noting that it was forced to postpone and finally cancel a series of medical seminars this month due to domestic travel restrictions leading to a loss of approximately 2,500 overnight stays.