Greece Aims for Total Tourism Recovery in 2022

The Greek Tourism Ministry and sector professionals are working to restore tourism to pre-Covid-19 levels in 2022, said Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias this week.

In an article published on cnn.gr, Kikilias underlined the importance of the sector as both a driver of the Greek economy but also for its contribution to the survival of the “average Greek family during times of crisis”. This, he said, was achieved thanks in large part to the sector’s quick reflexes making it able to adapt to the new conditions created by the pandemic.

The minister set the goals for the year ahead which include:

– upgrading vital tourism infrastructure
– setting up a crisis management task force
– digitizing the tourism eco-system
– and ensuring upskilling and reskilling options are available for tourism professionals.

Through these key areas, the ministry hopes to extend the tourism season, distribute visitors to lesser-known destinations, attract higher-spending markets, promote cruise travel, attract tourism investments, and set the conditions for sustainable tourism practices.

Greek Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias.

To help the ministry achieve its targets, Kikilias referred to 320,000,000 euros in EU recovery funding which will be channeled into dozens of projects, including the creation of destination management entities, promoting mountain, health and wellness tourism, agritourism and gastronomy as well as into port modernization and projects to ensure accessibility for disabled travelers.

At the same time, the government, he said, is moving ahead with reforms and incentives to facilitate not only investments but also to accelerate procedures.

Lastly, he referred to actions taken to establish Greece as a frontrunner in sustainable tourism practices and environmental protection.