MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions)

While sailing to the islands of Aegina and Hydra, delegates attending a conference on the new economy were told computers will never acquire common sense; therefore, humans will always be useful and necessary. Even in the next century, robots will not attain the intelligence required to compete with the human race.

This year’s tourism exhibition Philoxenia 2001, November 1 to 4, will host an international conference on Ecotourism entitled: “The International Experience and the Case of Greece.”

The Association of British Travel Agent’s (ABTA) recent congress on Kos gave delegates some tasty food for thought. During the four-day event, which was perhaps the best-organized event ever held in Greece, up-market speakers attempted to foresee the future regarding travel and the Internet.

During opening ceremonies, Development Minister Nikos Christodoulakis declared that a total of 596.2 billion drachmas in financing from the EU’s Third Structural Fund would be funnelled into the industry between now and 2006.

Greece and Great Britain are linked by a binding friendship and by cooperation. The relationship between the two countries, particularly regarding the tourism sector, is even stronger when we consider that about 2.5 million British tourists visit our country each year.

The 34th UFTAA World Congress will be held in Colombo – Sri Lanka from October 29 to November 02, 2000. The theme for this year’s congress is “Travel Specialists of the New Millenium” with topics on environment, travel agents, hotels and other travel related subjects being presented by eminent speakers and thereafter open for discussion.

The Association of British Travel Agencies (ABTA) holds its annual convention this month on the island of Kos. This is the second time the association selected Greece to host the event. In 1976, Athens hosted the event.

World Travel Market, November 13-16, celebrates its 21st birthday this year with a spectacular, world-class social extravaganza that organizers promise will surpass last year’s highly popular Millennium Party.

The Thessaloniki Convention & Visitors Bureau has just released a 12-page brochure that lists information on how best to organize a conference in the northern port city.

The Milos Conference Centre George Eliopoulos, founded by Kitty Kyriacopoulou, chairperson of the mining company Argyro and Barytinis, was officially opened last month by the deputy minister for foreign affairs, Elizabeth Papazois.