Tourism Stakeholders in Greece-Bulgaria Team Up for CapTour Project  

Hellenic Hoteliers Federation (POX) President Grigoris Tasios. Photo source: POX.

A two-year initiative aimed at supporting medium-sized companies offering tourism services in Greece and Bulgaria through business coaching and guidance was presented recently in Thessaloniki by Hellenic Hoteliers Federation (POX) President Grigoris Tasios.

Dubbed “CapTour: An Initiative on Capitalizing Tourism’s Prospects of the Region”, the project will offer know-how and networking opportunities to participants through a series of educational workshops and events.

The initiative is being made possible through the Interreg VA “Greece-Bulgaria 2014-2020″ program and co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and by national funds of participating countries.

Initiatives presented during the press conference included the “Partnership Opportunity Platform“, the CapTour site, current training workshops and business forums, and some information on a forum to be held in Sandanski, Bulgaria next month.

Greece – Bulgaria borders.

“The Panhellenic Hoteliers Federation acquires – thanks to the Interreg program – a presence in Thessaloniki and by extension in Northern Greece strengthening cross-border relations and interaction between Balkan countries, mainly through the exchange of know-how covering hotel services and education and thus contributing to the increase in tourist traffic in Northern Greece,” said Tasios.

Besides leading partner POX, other participants in Greece and Bulgaria include the regional units of Drama, Evros, Thessaloniki, Kavala, Xanthi, Rodopi and Serres as well as the University of Macedonia/ Research Committee/ Department of Accounting and Finance, the Association of Hoteliers, Restauranteurs and Tour Operators Sandanski, the Rhodopes Hoteliers and Restauranteurs Association.

The federation, Tasios said, has plans to participate as a partner in similar initiatives in other destinations.