People

The Hellenic Association of Professional Congress Organizers (HAPCO) will once again join the Greek and foreign tourism professionals and actively participate in the 27th International Tourism Exhibition Philoxenia.

During the times of the crisis our country is going through, tourism remains our heavy industry and also our great hope.

Philoxenia was for many years and still remains the place to meet and exchange ideas and experiences with colleagues, business associates and companions on this difficult road known as “Greek Tourism.”

In these difficult and obscure days where the Greek economy and society are being beaten by unprecedented forces, our country’s tourism industry is at the start of a peculiar journey, the journey of the salmon.

Today, the main issue that concerns islanders, travelers, tourists, those who live off tourism, professions related to shipping and especially our industry is whether passenger shipping will see the end of entrepreneurship and therefore the end of the country’s sea transport by the end of 2011.

In these very challenging moments Greece is experiencing, the competitiveness and dynamism of the Greek tourism industry is having an extraordinary performance, recording an increase of inbound tourists and revenue of approximately 11 percent and 14 percent respectively for the first seven months of 2011.

It is true that the 27th Philoxenia is organized during a rather difficult time for the country. The year soon to end was a year during which Greece was economically shaken.

The 27th Philoxenia finds Greek tourism in an ascendant course. The significant increase in arrivals, as well as in revenue, shows that we are in a positive direction.

Argo Travel, one of the very first travel agencies in Greece approved and certified by IATA, recently designed and launched a new B2B website, providing players in the travel trade with professional and reliable travel-related services.

Sofitel Athens Airport Hotel of Accor Group last month held a farewell reception to the hotel’s former general manager Gilles Attias.