GNTO: Next Day of Greek Tourism Should Focus on Authenticity, Connection

“Greece joins the rest of the world today to celebrate World Tourism Day and to rethink and redefine its tourism strategy and development priorities,” Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) President Angela Gerekou said on Tuesday on occasion of World Tourism Day 2022.

Commemorated each year on September 27, World Tourism Day is held to pay tribute to the tourism industry, its professionals and employees; foster awareness among the international community of its importance; and encourage people to travel. This year’s World Tourism Day theme is “Rethinking Tourism” and focuses on re-imagining the sector’s growth, both in terms of size and relevance.

In her message, Gerekou went on to add that the time was ripe for Greece to plan its transition from sustainability to a more regenerative and meaningful model of tourism that will strengthen destination resilience and the viability of local communities.

GNTO President Angela Gerekou

According to Gerekou, travelers today are seeking genuine experiences and connection and in view of these findings, the GNTO is working to formulate a new tourism model which it dubs “Regenerative, Ethical, and Smart Tourism” focusing on the return to quality, satisfaction and benefits for all stakeholders respect at the same time the environment and the culture of the local communities.

Referring to the country’s unprecedented recovery this year, GNTO Secretary General Dimitris Fragakis said the goal was now to implement sustainable practices and operations and return to authentic experiences.

“From now on, in a completely different international environment, Greek tourism must face its weaknesses but also be innovative and effective in addressing the new challenges that are already here, he said adding that it was more important than ever to transition to sustainability, move ahead with the digitization of services, invest in the authenticity of the tourist experience, and focus on education and skills.

GNTO Secretary General Dimitris Fragakis

Lastly, Fragakis stressed the importance of balanced distribution of tourism activity across the country which will in turn benefit the local and national economies.

The GNTO chiefs also highlighted the major contribution to the country’s success of people employed in tourism and invited travelers through the social media channels of visitgreece.gr to post a photo of themselves in Greece using the #rethinktourism hashtag.