Mayors of Athens and New York Talk Tourism

Photo source: Visit Greece

Following the high increase of American tourists in Athens this summer, the Greek city’s mayor is looking for ways to secure the rise and even attract more US travelers in the future.

During his recent official visit to New York, Athens Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis met with the city’s mayor, Eric Adams, and issues related to the tourism sector were at the top of the agenda.

Mayor Bakoyannis and New York’s mayor discussed possible actions to further strengthen tourist flows from the American market and attract even more visitors from the US in the coming years to the Greek capital.

Commenting on the “spectacular” increase of the number of American tourists in the Greek capital this season, Bakoyannis noted that a large portion of visitors are from New York.

“This is because, on the one hand, direct flights from the US to Athens are now more than ever and, on the other hand, because the capital has significantly upgraded its tourism product, the quality of its services, but also the authentic experiences it offers to its visitors,” the mayor of Athens said.

Moreover, the two mayors discussed topics of wider interest, such as good practices in everyday matters, but also Athens’ action plan against the climate crisis.

The meeting also included talks on the energy crisis, relations between Greece and the US, developments in the Aegean and the recent initiative undertaken by the European mayors of the Eurocities network of cities for the reconstruction of Ukrainian cities.

At the invitation of Mayor Bakoyannis, New York’s mayor agreed to carry out a visit to Athens in the near future.

Athens Mayor visits ‘Ground Zero’

The mayor’s trip also included a visit to the iconic Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, which was destroyed on 9/11 in the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York, and currently under reconstruction by Spanish architect and engineer Santiago Calatrava.

While in New York, Bakoyannis also addressed a gathering of expatriates from New York, whom he warmly thanked for their timeless support and contribution to Greece.