Greece Taps into Digital Innovation to Enhance Tourism Experiences

Greek Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias, Google Head of Marketing for SE Europe Maria Founta, TikTok Brand Partnerships Manager Fanis Theodorou and Relevance Digital Agency Founder and CEO Thanasis Sofianos.

Tapping into digital innovation to address industry problems and at the same time enhance the tourist experience is a top priority for the Greek Tourism Ministry.

“The tourism [industry’s] success creates new opportunities for innovation,” said Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias addressing the “Greek Tourism Success Story: Acceleration Through Digital Innovation” event organized by Relevance Digital Agency with the participation of Google, TikTok, and Elevate Greece.

Kikilias went on to add that Greece had invested significantly in digital skills citing the ministry’s agreement with Google, which provides training programs for small and medium-sized tourism businesses and more than 500 hotels.

During the event, Google executives presented the company’s joint initiatives with the tourism ministry underlining the importance of an effective digital environment as an integral part of the travel experience.

Google and TikTok also shared innovative solutions that help accelerate digital transition and visibility.

Greek Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias. Photo source: Relevance Digital Agency

The minister said digital innovation was helping accelerate tourism performance, referring to the Greek National Tourism Organization’s (GNTO) online campaign promoting year round tourism.

Kikilias went on to add that online bookings at hotels and short-term rentals had also benefited from the advancement of digital technologies.

“There are currently more online bookings from Greece and abroad than ever before at Greek hotels, with the average increase across the country’s destinations reaching 67 percent,” he said.

A main takeaway of the event was the importance of public – private partnerships and the development of a friendly startup environment in tourism, which is a driving force of the Greek economy directly affecting and connecting with many other activities and services.