MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions)

The Association of Greek Tourist Enterprises recently held its sixth conference entitled “The dynamics of changes in world tourism; how do they effect us? What is our reaction?”

Environmental awareness and initiatives in aviation was the predominant theme during this year’s European Regions Airline Association general assembly held recently in Athens.

Interest generated by the Philoxenia exhibition (November 1-4, Thessaloniki) for buyers has exceeded expectations a month before the event. Travel agencies and tour operators from 50 countries and some 3,000 potential buyers have contacted the organizers so far, and the list, according to the organizers —Helexpo National Exhibition Agency— increases daily so as to have the widest possible range of representatives from the world travel industry at the exhibition.

World Travel Market is a four-day travel industry event (November 12-15, London) that brings together worldwide buyers and sellers from every sector of the industry. A record breaking 46,945 travel industry professionals participated at WTM 2006 representing 202 countries and regions.

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has requested that all participants of the forthcoming International Conference on Climate Change and Tourism to register with carbon offsetting organizations. The conference is to be held next month at Davos, Switzerland.

At its annual press call to discuss tourism developments the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises said tourism arrivals to Greece have increased more than 19.5 percent in the period 2005-2006 when compared with 2004. It also forecast another major increase this year since the first four months of this year have shown an 11.7 percent increase in arrivals. The president of the assciation Stavros Andreadis stressed the fact that quality in service and products is a major factor in enticing visitors to Greece.

Many members of the tourism industry see the importance in the promotion of Greece as an ideal conference destination, but claim that efforts to achieve this are un-coordinated and delayed. They believe Greece has many advantages over neighboring countries that compete in this sector. However, it is evident from their perspective that efforts to achieve this are few and far between and therefore will delay what is a significant step in turning Greece in to the much desired all-year-round destination. One example of this is the conversion of the Faliron Pavilion into a world class conference center, that in combination with the post Olympic campaign would lay the foundations for Greece to acquire a business tourism identity.

Tourism Development Minister Fanni-Palli Petralia recently opened the second forum for the development of strategic marketing and a system of identification for Greek tourism.

The City of Athens last month hosted the three-day City Break Exhibition, which proved a great success for buyers and suppliers that participated. With the European city break market said to be worth some 222 billion euros in 2006, specialists anticipate Athens will greatly benefit from this, the only travel exhibition dedicated to short breaks and urban tourism.

Environmental concern was one of the key issues in the speech delivered by the Prime Minister Constantinos Karamanlis at the 15th general assembly of the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises.