GNTO Showcases Greece’s Tourism Appeal to Swedish Retirees

GNTO pavilion at the “Seniordagen 2024” event. Photo source: GNTO

The appeal of Greece as a year-round destination for Swedish retirees was showcased at the Seniordagen 2024 B2C event in Stockholm held earlier this month.

For the second year in a row, the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) participated in the outdoor event, aiming to promote Greece’s tourism products to Sweden’s so-called Silver Generation. This initiative is part of a broader marketing strategy developed in cooperation with the Greek Tourism Ministry, which highlights various thematic forms of Greek tourism to targeted audiences.

Since 2014, Seniordagen has introduced Swedish senior citizens to international destinations. In Sweden, retirees amount to approximately 2 million citizens, holding around 70 percent of the country’s disposable income.

According to feedback from the GNTO, 25,000 individuals attended the B2C event, the majority of whom were over the age of 55 with ample free time and high disposable income.

“Greece, and especially our islands – Crete, Rhodes, the Ionian and North Aegean islands, and the Sporades – are favorite holiday destinations for many of them, who told us they return every year,” the organization said in an announcement.

Deputy Head of the GNTO branch in Scandinavia, Maria Zevgoula with the Deputy Head of Greek Embassy in Stockholm Nikolaos Karalekas. Photo source: GNTO

Many of them were interested in new, lesser-known destinations away from the hustle and bustle, where they could relax close to nature. Locations that combine sea and sun with hiking and biking routes, local gastronomy, wellness, and sailing ranked high among their preferences.

On the sidelines of the event, a GNTO article about Greece was published in the special edition “Det Ljuva Livet” (The Good Life), included as an insert in Aftonbladet Newspaper. With a circulation of 450,000 copies, Aftonbladet is Sweden’s largest newspaper, reaching some 4 million readers.

The Greek pavilion was also visited by the Deputy Head of the Greek Embassy in Stockholm, Nikolaos Karalekas.

Resebranschens Vårmöte event

Presentation at the Resebranschens Vårmöte 2024. Photo source: GNTO

Following the Seniordagen exhibition, the Greek tourism board also participated in the Resebranschens Vårmöte event, held once again in the Swedish capital.

Organized by the Association of Swedish Travel Agents & Tour Operators (SRF), the event drew 200 tourism professionals and media representatives interested in the future of the sector.

Making its debut at the event, the GNTO held B2B meetings with representatives of other tourism organizations and tour operators, who confirmed the positive trends in bookings from Scandinavian countries to Greek destinations.

These representatives indicated that the Greek islands and mainland locations are ideal travel choices for Scandinavians all year round.