MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions)

Deputy Culture and Tourism Minister George Nikitiadis presented significant opportunities provided for cruise tourism and investments in Greek port projects, following the lifting of cabotage restrictions (currently in process by the Greek government), last month at the 8th Seatrade Med Cruise Convention in Cannes, France.

The 26th Philoxenia International Tourism Exhibition, held this year on 18-21 November at Helexpo in Thessaloniki, roughly hosted 500 exhibitors from Greece and 12 other countries (Egypt, Albania, Brazil, Bulgaria, Ghana, India, Cyprus, Russia, Serbia, Syria, Turkey, and Tunisia).

“Working in international travel and tourism at the moment is certainly no holiday for many of us,” World Travel Market’s Chairman Fiona Jeffery said during her opening speech at the tourism fair at ExCel in London, UK, held this year 8-11 November.

The 42nd Xenia exhibition (26-29 November) will host the food event “Kalimera! with taste” at the Metropolitan Expo center at Athens International Airport.

The situation of the Greek economy is improving but there still is a long way to go and therefore no excuse for complacency, Bank of Greece Governor Yiorgos Provopoulos said last month at the welcome dinner of the ninth annual tourism and development conference of the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises (SETE).

“We aim to increase the number of Chinese visitors to Greece in the coming years and for this purpose actions have already been made to simplify the process for Chinese citizens to obtain a visa to travel to Greece,” Culture and Tourism Minister Pavlos Geroulanos said while inaugurating the Greek Tourism Week event in Shanghai, China, on 27 August.

The challenge of adding tourism to the Greek government’s development priorities will be analyzed at the ninth annual tourism and development conference of the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises (SETE) scheduled for 18-19 October.

Posidonia projects the potential of the global maritime industry, promotes commercial ties between international shipping companies and propels economic growth for Greece and the world’s leading seafaring nations, said Project Manager of Posidonia Fairs, Theodore Vokos, last month.

The 15th Touristiko Panorama tourism exhibition took place this year in the center of Athens at the Zappeion Center courtyard (29 April-2 May).

Greece’s presence at Expo 2010 is a good start to introduce Greece as a tourism destination to China, according to the Culture and Tourism Ministry.