mAiGreece: New AI Travel Assistant for Visitors to Greece

Greek Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni and Greek Digital Governance Minister Dimitris Papastergiou presenting the “mAiGreece” AI-powered “travel assistant” on Monday.

The Greek Tourism Ministry introduced the new digital application “mAiGreece” on Monday, serving as a digital “travel assistant” for visitors to Greece, providing all the necessary information for an enjoyable stay in the country.

Developed with the support of the Ministry of Digital Governance, the app uses artificial intelligence (AI) technology and offers a user-friendly interface filled with useful information.

“mAiGreece” supports 31 languages, including the 24 official languages of the EU, as well as Albanian, Chinese, Japanese, Turkish, Hebrew, Arabic, and Korean.

Scheduled to go live on June 10, the app will initially be promoted by Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) offices abroad. Additionally, a special introduction event will take place at Athens International Airport, as well as other entry points to the country.

Visitors can chat with mAiGreece

The easy-to-use app allows travelers to chat with “mAiGreece” by submitting their questions in their own language, whether written or spoken. Using geo-location technology (GPS), “mAiGreece” provides information based on the visitors’ current location.

“mAiGreece” includes information on Greece’s attractions, museums, archaeological sites, blue flag beaches, hospitals and health centers, police stations, embassies and consulates of foreign countries, as well as content from visitgreece.gr.

Additionally, the app provides clear guidance on what visitors should do in case of losing their passport or wallet.

Greek Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni.

During the app’s media presentation, Greek Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni emphasized that “mAiGreece” will enhance the sense of safety and hospitality, already prominent features of Greek tourism.

“Our aim is to leverage all available technological tools to guarantee each visitor enjoys a seamless and comprehensive experience during their trip to Greece,” Kefalogianni stated.

“mAiGreece” to help during emergencies

Greek Digital Governance Minister Dimitris Papastergiou highlighted that the app will be available to assist during “difficult times” such as wildfires or floods. It will feature a function linked to the 112 emergency service line, allowing users to send a message (SMS) to the operations center of the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection with their geographical location.

“Aiming to enhance the experience for those visiting Greece, we have designed ‘mAiGreece’ to provide travelers with a personalized experience during their stay in our country,” Papastergiou stated.

“mAiGreece” will be accessible for free on mobile phones and tablets through the App Store and Play Store.

Upon arrival in Greece, visitors will receive an SMS from their mobile phone provider informing them about the availability of the app. According to Papastergiou, travelers can also access the app before their arrival in Greece.

Greek Digital Governance Minister Dimitris Papastergiou.

The “mAiGreece” project was implemented by OTE (Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation), Accenture, and UBITECH, with Microsoft providing the technology using Azure Open AI. The app ensures transparency, equality, and respect for user privacy and the protection of personal data (GDPR).

Financed by the Recovery and Resilience Fund, the creation of “mAiGreece” is part of the tourism ministry’s marketing strategy for 2024 that includes the digital transformation of the GNTO and tools for promoting Greece and its tourism products.

The announcement of the “mAiGreece” app follows the launch of “mAigov”, the digital assistant of the public administration’s single digital portal (https://www.gov.gr/), by the Ministry of Digital Governance.