Greek Minister Kefalogianni in US to Boost Ties in Tourism

Greek Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni.

As part of ongoing efforts to increase tourist flows from the US and further strengthen ties in tourism, Greek Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni will be visiting New York this week.

During her stay, she will be meeting with airline executives and tour operators, local tourism professionals and media, and with Diaspora Greeks and investors. She will also be participating in a Columbia University event marking International Greek Language Day on Friday.

Kefalogianni’s visit to the Unites States is part of the ministry’s action plan for 2024 which aims to strengthen inbound tourism from the US, one of the country’s leading source markets, and to establish Greece as a top-of-mind destination.

It should be noted that travelers from the US together with those from Germany, and the UK, drove November 2023 arrivals up by 27.5 percent compared to the same month in 2022 boosting travel receipts by 18.9 percent and reflecting a longer tourism season in Greece.

Increasing tourist spend is also a key priority. In November 2023, tourist expenditure by US travelers increased by 62.4 percent to 65.1 million euros.

Last year, Kefalogianni and US Ambassador to Greece George J Tsunis agreed to set up a working group that would be responsible for addressing tourism issues such as increasing the number of flights between the US and Greece this year and attracting more investments in tourism by US entrepreneurs.