Kefalogianni Renews Religious Tourism Cooperation Protocol with Church of Greece

A cooperation protocol for the development of religious-pilgrimage tourism in Greece was renewed Thursday between the Greek Tourism Ministry and the Church of Greece.

Greek Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni met with the archbishop of Athens and All Greece, Ieronymos, at the headquarters of the Holy Archdiocese of Athens.

Initially signed in January 2013, the cooperation sees the tourism ministry and the Greek Church working together to promote Greece’s religious wealth to countries abroad; attract new markets; and also develop religious tourism to help extend the country’s tourism season.

During Thursday’s meeting, Kefalogianni and Archbishop Ieronymos exchanged views and agreed to work together to prepare a strategic plan for the promotion of Greece’s religious sites and monuments, places of pilgrimage and all important pilgrimage routes.

Also discussed was the need to upgrade the accommodation facilities of the Greek monasteries for the hosting of religious tourists.

Another topic touched was the possibility of forming a new cooperation framework between the Church of Greece and the Tourism Ministry to renew the joint coordinating committee in order to successfully carry out an action plan for the promotion of religious tourism in both Greece and abroad.