GNTO: Tourism Can Be a Tool to Strengthen Global Ties

GNTO President Angela Gerekou honored during the conference. Photo source: GNTO.

Greece can employ tourism in its strategy to strengthen international ties, said the president of the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) Angela Gerekou, during a recent conference in Athens organized by the National Defense Ministry.

Addressing a high-level international conference on sustainable development and regional integration of the Mediterranean under the existing framework of challenges and threats to international security, Gerekou said tourism provided the ideal opportunity to reach out and become acquainted with other cultures, serving as starting point for cooperation.

 “Tourism is a dynamic means of getting to know and understand the culture and history of countries, which demonstrates the influence it can exert in forming relationships of trust and understanding between peoples,” she said.

GNTO President Angela Gerekou speaking during the conference. Photo source: GNTO.

Speaking at the conference, Gerekou referred to the role tourism can play in diplomacy and international relations.

“Despite being one of the most dynamic industries worldwide with a constant growth dynamic affected by international economic and political circumstances and affecting national, regional and local economies, until today, tourism has not been treated as a tool to generate soft power politics and an element that can strengthen international relations,” she said.

The head of Greece’s tourism board went on to add that the time was right to tap into tourism as a diplomatic tool and create a tourism policy that will connect the economic, political, cultural and environmental benefits with the people, destinations and host countries in efforts to improve the quality of life and create a prospect for peace and prosperity”.