People

Dr. Yiannis Paraschis late last month took over from Alfred van der Meer as the new chief executive officer of Athens International Airport. The forty-seven-year-old industrial engineer joined the airport’s management team shortly after its establishment in 1996, and he was the key contributor to the development of the company from the onset.

takes over as senior manager of human resources markets for Central Eastern Southern Europe, Middle East & Africa.

Litsa Papathanassi from Rodos was elected as the new president of Skal International during the 67th Skal International World Congress held in Pattaya, Thailand last month. This is only the second time in the organization’s 72-year-history, that a woman president was elected.

Every country’s economic development is supported by its dynamic sectors, its competitive advantages, as well as the model it has chosen to face the challenges of the future.

The Philoxenia exhibition, now in its 22nd year, has become an institution for Greece, which has been organised successfully for all these years and is an event of great significance for the Greek tourism industry.

Over the past years, the international tourism market has undergone serious crises, suffered from unforeseen factors and was characterized by dramatic restructuring. Perhaps, a more significant conclusion for this period was confirmation of the system of balances that we call the “globalization of tourism.”

The growth in demand for holidays in Greece from most countries over the past two years, as is indicated by the notable increase in arrivals, raises further expectations for the future of Greek tourism.

During the last two years, Greek tourism has entered a phase of great improvement. However, we must not rely completely on these positive developments. All of us, the state, local government, and businessmen are responsible for the positive developments, and any possible negative results.

The general impression today is that tourism on an international level is exceptionally dynamic and filled with promise. This sector’s development rate has risen steadily over the past three years and it is expected that in the next years, it will be further strengthened, particularly, as the large emerging markets in Asia, such as China and India, consolidate their presence on the international market.

It is a fact that today competition in tourism must be centered on quality and not cost and what we mean by quality is not only those elements an accommodation can offer, but also the quality of the destination that contributes significantly to our being able to stimulate the tourists’ interest. Our approach must ensure that every region’s tradition and hospitality is combined with recreation and history.