Greek Tourism Upgrade to Focus on Innovation and Cultural Heritage

Integrating cultural heritage into the Greek tourist offering is a top priority for the ministry, said Deputy Tourism Minister Sofia Zacharaki during the Global Innovation Summit 2022 held in Athens this week.

Zacharaki attended the summit which was organized jointly by the Global Federation of Competitiveness Councils (GFCC), the Delphi Economic Forum and the Competitiveness Council of Greece (CompeteGr).

The minister said Greece’s cultural heritage, which includes gastronomy and enotourism, was a “strategic advantage” for the country which can be integrated into the tourist experience through special interest products enriching the overall tourist offering.

In this direction, Zacharaki referred to ministry initiatives which include the launch of new seal for visitable breweries, olive oil mills, cheese factories and wineries. Over 100 such enterprises have been awarded the seal so far, she said.

Zacharaki added that the ministry had allocated 300 million euros in RRF funds towards the implementation of such initiatives that highlighted the country’s cultural heritage and linked it with the tourist experience.

“Innovation is the foundation of the tourism ministry’s policy. With this year’s tourism success as a launch pad, we are already planning the next steps for the future of Greek tourism focusing on sustainability, balance and quality,” said Zacharaki.