Marketing Greece Celebrates 10 Years of Promoting Greek Tourism, Announces Next Steps

Marketing Greece, a non-profit organization and private sector initiative, this year celebrates its tenth anniversary.

According to the company’s CEO, Ioanna Dretta, the occasion commemorates a decade of creativity, challenges, collaborations, innovations and passion for Greek tourism.

Founded in 2013 by the Greek Tourism Confederation (SETE) and the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels to promote tourism in Greece, Marketing Greece’s aim is to boost the image and reputation of Greece internationally through the repositioning and promotion of all aspects of its tourism product.

“Since its beginning until today Marketing Greece has a mission: to think, act and pioneer for Greek tourism,” Dretta said on Tuesday during a media event in Athens.

Believing in the value of alliances and synergies, Marketing Greece works with destinations and organisations throughout Greece, from both the public and private sector and from within tourism and the wider market.

Over 12 million euros invested in Greek tourism promotion

Marketing Greece CEO Ioanna Dretta.

Having been founded as a result of cooperation between private tourism businesses, over the course of the last ten years Marketing Greece has invested to date more than 12 million euros from the private sector in actions to promote Greek tourism, including content creation and campaigns for the promotion of the country’s destinations.

“A milestone for the company was our participation in the management of brand ‘Greece’ during the years of the pandemic… Through our actions and initiatives we proposed a new path for how we should all manage Greece’s great tourism brand,” Dretta said.

Next steps

For 2023, Marketing Greece will launch a series of initiatives, such as highlighting the values of sustainable development and “adopting” two Greek destinations to support them in this direction.

Moreover, Dretta announced that the company, in collaboration with the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO), during the year will promote targeted promotion campaigns for Athens, Central Macedonia (Thessaloniki, Halkidiki, Olympus), Chania and Kavala–Thassos by using social media channels, mainly Instagram and Tik Tok.

For the needs of the campaign, travel content will be created and focus on the experiences and local culture of the destinations, “building” on the principles and values of sustainable development.

Alliances are key for tourism

SETE President Yiannis Retsos.

From Day 1, launching alliances and cooperating with the public and private sector has been Marketing Greece’s philosophy.

Over the years, the company has collaborated with the Tourism Ministry, the GNTO, regions, municipalities, tourism organisations, hotels associations, chambers of commerce and hotels, as well as not-for-profit initiatives such as DIAZOMA and private companies such as AEGEAN, Athens International Airport, Fraport, Eurobank, Coca-Cola etc.

Highlighting Marketing Greece’s efforts during its 10-year journey, SETE President Yiannis Retsos said that Greek tourism has a very “useful tool” at its disposal.

“SETE, as a social partner, had and has as its main mission: the continuous strengthening of the competitiveness of Greek tourism, the promotion of the entire sector’s role in the Greek economy and society, as well as the strengthening of the image of the country – of ‘brand Greece’,” he said.

“With a targeted strategy and a long-term horizon of action, today we have managed to travel a rather long, arduous but at the same time significantly instructive path. After ten years of progress, Marketing Greece proves that the vision can become a reality, through partnerships, joining forces and hard work,” Retsos said.

On her part, Marketing Greece Vice President and Phāea Resorts CEO Agape Sbokou said she is honored to be part of the company.

Marketing Greece Vice President Agape Sbokou.

“Marketing Greece’s course over these 10 years has proven that when private funds are respected and participating parties have knowledge and talent, miracles can happen,” she said.

Sbokou highlighted that besides the fact that Marketing Greece has successfully contributed to promoting brand ‘Greece’ abroad, the company has also offered to the wider tourism sector’s own understanding on what tourism and its products mean for the country.

Yiannis Paraschis, the CEO of Athens International Airport (AIA), one of Marketing Greece’s main partners, said that Greek tourism is in the right direction for the future.

Athens International Airport CEO Yiannis Paraschis.

“AIA from the very beginning has supported and been part of Marketing Greece… It is an excellent tool for the promotion of the country’s products and destinations and at the same time it is an extremely important legacy,” he said.

Marketing Greece’s 10-year anniversary was attended by AEGEAN President Eftychios Vassilakis, Hellenic Chamber of Hotels Vice President Christina Tetradi, TEMES SA President Achilleas Konstantakopoulos, Fraport Greece General Manager of Development George Vilos, TrueTrips Founder & CEO Christos Stergiou and AEGEAN Marketing Director Marina Valvi.