Thessaloniki’s Makedonia Airport Serves ‘Greek Breakfast’ to Travelers

The “Greek Breakfast” experience was presented at the fully renovated Thessaloniki Airport “Makedonia” on Wednesday in celebration of World Tourism Day.

Commemorated each year on September 27, World Tourism Day is held to pay tribute to the tourism industry.

Organized by the airport’s operator Fraport Greece, in collaboration with the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels and the Thessaloniki Hotels Association, the “Greek Breakfast” event was held to showcase and promote the value and uniqueness of Greek products.

During the event, more than 1,500 departing passengers had the opportunity to taste traditional products from a variety of local gastronomy creations.

“The primary focus of the event was the award-winning local gastronomy as experienced by the city’s visitors through ‘Greek Breakfast’,” Giorgos Vilos, Executive Director of Commercial & Business Development, Fraport Greece, said.

“Greek Breakfast” is an innovative initiative by the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels, focusing on connecting the country’s rich gastronomy tradition, along with the hotel guests’ exquisite experience.

Its purpose is to express the chamber’s vision to invest in sustainable development by supporting the local producers and products that highlight the culinary identity of each Greek destination.

Sakellarios Soulounias, VP of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels with George Vilos, executive director, Commercial and Business Development, Fraport Greece.

Helen Papia, member of Thessaloniki Hotels Association; Agni Christidou, managing director of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels; and Maria Tzannou, marketing consultant “The Greek Breakfast” Thessaloniki Hotels Association.

The innovative ‘Greek Breakfast’ program was launched in 2010 by the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels and has since enjoyed success, enriching and increasing participation, continuously, while bringing Greek products to the table of every traveler.

“In the past, tourism success was measured in terms of visitor numbers and revenue. Today, the success and dynamics of the tourism product are measured by its influence on the local community and its multiplying benefits to industries beyond tourism. This highlights the inseparable connection between culture, history, gastronomy, as well as sectors such as innovation and industry, all of which constitute the social fabric of our country,” Alexandros Vassilikos, President of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels, said.

On his part, Andreas Mandrinos, President of the Thessaloniki Hotels Association, noted, that the ‘Greek Breakfast’ program is a highly successful initiative embraced by both hotel businesses and their guests, Greeks and foreigners alike.

“’Greek Breakfast’ embodies the hospitality of our country while simultaneously supporting local products and producers,” Mandrinos said, adding that the aim of the event at the airport is for travelers to return to their homeland, holding the tastes of Makedonia and Thessaloniki gastronomy as their “final memory”.

The ‘Greek Breakfast’ program is based on significant efforts to promote the quality primary sector of Greece in various regions, with 43 local agreements signed between producers and hoteliers, involving more than 1,400 certified hotels as the only product connecting the primary sector with the hotel and tourism industry.

“’Greek Breakfast’ serves as a solid foundation upon which we will continue to build to strengthen our gastronomic identity, which is a repository and guardian of the country’s culture and tradition,” the hotel chamber’s president, Alexandros Vassilikos, said.