Greece Aims to Attract Tourism from the ‘Vast’ Indian Market

Deputy Chief Minister and Rajasthan State Tourism Minister Diya Kumari visited the GNTO’s pavilion accompanied by Sanjeev Agarwal, Founder, Managing Director of Fairfest Media, the organiser of OTM. Photo source: GNTO

Aiming to reach out to the Indian market and hoping to reignite interest and boost tourist flows, the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) participated in this year’s OTM 2024 which took place at the Jio World Convention Center in Mumbai showcasing Greece’s offerings.

Executives and co-exhibitors from the Athens Convention Bureau, Hellenic Memories Travel Services, Sanmed Travel Hub, Mazi Travel- Travel & Events and ASIT Anatolia Travel. Photo source: GNTO

GNTO officials met with Indian tourism stakeholders and gathered feedback for 2024. Among others, Greece aims to increase tourist flows from India, which was an up-and-coming market for Greece before the outbreak of Covid-19.

The GNTO accelerated efforts after a historic meeting last summer between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Athens. Mitsotakis and Modi stressed the importance of introducing direct flights and increasing tourist flows between the two countries.

“Our participation at OTM 2024 was instrumental in showcasing Greece’s unique appeal to Indian travelers. We are committed to furthering our presence in India and offering tailored experiences that resonate with the Indian audience. Greece aspires to emerge as a top honeymoon destination for the Indian market, leveraging our rich history, stunning landscapes, and warm hospitality to create unforgettable memories for Indian travelers,” said Eleftheria Fili, a GNTO officer at OTM 2024.

Among others, Greece is targeting honeymoon and film tourism from India. Indicative of the interest, Naxos featured in the 2017 Bollywood production “Tiger Zinda Hai”.

Mitsotakis is scheduled to visit India later this month, demonstrating the importance the two countries place on furthering cooperation.

Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Tourism of Rajasthan Diya Kumari giving the GNTO award to Ms Eleftheria Phili, Head of the Audiovisual Media and Production Department of GNTO. Photo source: GNTO

Late last year, Athens International Airport (AIA), This is Athens – Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) and Gulf Air organized a FAM trip to the Greek capital for a select group of travel and tourism representatives from India.

Lastly, during OTM 2024, the GNTO stand received the “Best Decoration Award”.

The Greek Travel Page (GTP) was media sponsor of OTM 2024.