MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions)

Tourism Development Minister Aris Spiliotopoulos announced Greece would lead the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Committee for Sustainable Development of Tourism for the next four years on the occasion of World Environment Day (June 5). This decision was taken by the committee’s nine member-states within the framework of the UNWTO three-day conference held in Athens.

Greece received a double-distinction recently at KOFTA 2008 travel fair in Seoul, South Korea where it won “Best Booth Design Award” and “Best Music Performance,” realized by Greek Soprano Anastasia Zani. Greece received much admiration from the fair’s 100,000 visitors who showed their interest by collecting material and information pamphlets on Athens, Thessaloniki, the Cyclades and Greece’s archeological sites from the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) stand.

Yiannis Evangelou, president of the Hellenic Association of Travel & Tourist Agencies (HATTA), asserted that “Greece underestimates the importance of the international cruise industry and unlike all other Mediterranean destinations and has done little in this direction until now.” This was the conclusion of the press conference held prior to the Seatrade-Hatta cruise forum CRUISEinGREECE last month.

Kapa Research revealed significant Greek travel trends for the occasion of the 13th Touristiko Panorama travel exhibition held in Athens on 17-20 April, organized by the Kalofolias Group-Express Newspaper.

Tourism Development Minister Aris Spiliotopoulos recently visited Moscow where he attended the International Travel Fair Intourmarket and Moscow International Travel & Tourism exhibition (MITT). He then visited the exhibition “The Greek Tourist Poster; Time Travel with the Help of Art” that took place in the A. S. Popov Central Museum of Communications in St. Petersburg.

The Municipality of Alonissos and the periphery of the Ionian Islands recently took part in the five-day “Le Monde a Paris” international tourism exhibition (13/3/08-17/3/08) with positive results. The Municipality of Alonissos, also present at the exhibition last year, had a dynamic presence at this year’s exhibition due to the proactive Mayor of Alonissos Panagiotis Vlaikos who ensured the municipality’s participation in this significant tourism forum as well as in major tourism exhibitions in London, Milan, Sofia and Berlin.

The fifth “Hotel Management Conference on F&B” that took place recently, organized by Action for the Development of Tourism and Tourist Education (DR.A.T.T.E), was a success in highlighting the significance of the F&B (Food and Beverage) sector in the creation of a strong image for our tourism product. During the two-day conference held at the Athens Ledra Marriot an array of speakers provided their views and expertise on the topic.

Greece was the country of honor at the “Borsa Mediterranea Del Turismo” tourism exhibition that took place on 4-6 April at Naples. The aim of the exhibition was to strengthen cooperation and ties between members of the travel industry in Mediterranean countries. As the country of honor, Greece held a press conference within the framework of the exhibition where participants of the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) stand presented their respective regions.

Greece shined from beginning to end at the 42nd ITB Berlin travel trade show (5-9 March) last month. During the inauguration of the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) stand, Tourism Development Minister Aris Spiliotopoulos announced Greece has gone up two positions (from 24th to 22nd)—amongst 130 countries—according to the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2008 revealed by the World Economic Forum.

More than 7,000 visitors, hundreds of investors in the tourism sector and some 250 foreign visitors attended the 2nd International Tourism & Property Show held from 22 to 24 February at the Olympic Fencing Center at Hellinikon.