People

The Hellenic Association of Travel and Tourist Agencies (HATTA) recently held its annual general assembly and voted for its new board of directors. The general assembly was attended by a plethora of members from the travel sector, tourism industry dignitaries, travel agencies-HATTA members and tourism media. Secretary General of Tourism Spyros Efstathopoulos, President of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels Gerassimos Fokas, and President of the Association of Greek Tourist Enterprises (SETE) Stavros Andreadis, all spoke at the general assembly.

The board of directors of Blue Star Maritime recently convened and accepted the resignation of executive board members, Pericles Panagopoulos and Alexander Panagopoulos, and independent, non-executive board member, Emmanuel Kalpadakis, who were then replaced with Petros Vettas, Yannis Criticos and Alexander Edipidis respectively.

The Pan-Hellenic Federation of Tourism Enterprises (POET) recently elected its new board of Directors, of which Tsampikos Moschatos—member of the Association of Rodos Travel Agents (ARTA)—is the new president, Alekos Gasparatos (president of the Union of Greek Tourist Coaches), Michalis Vlatakis (secretary general of Crete Travel and Tourist Agents Association), Spyros Ginis (board member of the Greek Union of Air Travel Agencies) and Nick Stamatis (president of the Greek Professional Yacht Owners Association) are first, second, third and fourth vice presidents respectively. Panayiotis Bamidis (member of Macedonia-Thrace Travel Agents Association) remains secretary general of POET and Paris Loutriotis (secretary General of the Greek Professional Yacht Owners Association) is the new treasurer of the federation.

Les Clefs D’Or Hellas recently elected its new national board. Spiros Arathimos (Titania Hotel) was elected president, Emmanuel Kamilakis (Athens Hilton Hotel) as vice president, Stavroula Legou (Metropolitan Hotel) as general secretary, Georgios Kotsonis (Golden Age Hotel) as treasurer and Panagiota Stribakou (Metropolitan Hotel) as special secretary. Members include Panagiotis Varotsis (Titania Hotel), Dimitrios Liapis (Athenaeum Intercontinental Hotel), Alexandros Boulos (Sofitel Athens Airport) and Michael Chatzakis (Hyatt Regency Thessaloniki Hotel).

Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis, following the induction of new Tourism Development Minister Aris Spiliotopoulos, recently appointed former secretary general of the Greek National Tourism Organization, Athanasios Oikonomou, as the new president of the GNTO, and Iraklis Valvis as new secretary general.

Tourism constitutes one of the most dynamic sectors in the Greek economy. The post-Olympic era finds our country in one of the best positions in the ranking of world tourism destinations, a fact that is of extreme significance within the framework of ever-increasing world tourism competition. The Philoxenia exhibition is a point of reference for the dynamic course of Greek tourism. The Greek Tourism, Travel and Leisure industry, is based on and benefits from such events of world renowned prestige and influence, as far as attracting investors and institutions of world tourism is concerned.

Philoxenia, as one of the now recognized institutions in the tourism marketplace of Southeast Europe, offers much in the development of Greek tourism. It consists traditionally and in essence as a promotion step for Greek tourism, which gives an opportunity to business, workers and visitors to become informed on the developments, the possibilities and the latest trends as they take place within the international tourism environment.

With reference to the recent catastrophic fires that affected Peloponissos and Evia, as President of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels I would like to send a message and extend an invitation; a challenge to the government and the business tourism community.

For yet another year, Greek tourism has developed its potential and proved its endurance to adversity and to elements of the “unexpected.” The rhythm of development it has displayed is higher than the world and European average and all the available statistics allow a reserved optimism for additional increases in the following years.

As I write these words for Philoxenia 2007 I find myself contemplating the eighties when Philoxenia took its first steps. It was another era when tourism made initial openings and was finding its footing for a new epoch.