Trade Associations

Georgios Tsakiris, president of the Attica Hoteliers’ Association, opened the association’s annual general assembly last month with words of praise for the cooperation and work being done by the country’s tourism ministry, but he urged the ministry to move faster in implementing promises.

The “.travel” Registry, owned by Tralliance Corporation, New York, in cooperation with the World Tourism Organization, has affirmed a priority right to the nations of the world to register their respective country, cities, and place names in the .travel Registry.

Our tourism sector needs to agree on problems and solutions and the best was to achieve this is through the introduction of a tourism chamber where all branches of the sector can get together and hammer out solutions, said Tourism Development Minister Dimitris Avrampopoulos during a press call last month.

Twenty-four outgoing travel specialists from Greece visited Syria recently to get a better idea of what that country has to offer to the Greek traveler, and to discuss ways in which the Syrian and Greek agents could work together to create common business agreements.

Dimitris Mantios, president of the Hellenic Association of Professional Conference Organizers, told members during the association’s general assembly last month, and reporters, that he was very disappointed in the time it’s taking government quarters to decide on an Athens conference and exhibition center.

Tourism Development Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos last month, during a press call, said that we would see at least a seven percent rise in tourism arrivals this year. He said that according to data received from Hellenic Tourism Organization offices abroad the increase would be led by the U.S. with an impressive 40 percent increase over 2004.

The tourism ministry is planning to establish 49 new Hellenic Tourism Organization offices around the world, in addition to the current 23 international offices, Tourism Development Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos said during a press conference called last month.

Tourism Development Deputy Minister Anastassios Liaskos has announced investment incentives for the tourism sector, which he said would relieve the country’s hoteliers of considerable red tape.

Two government subsidy programs, worth a total of 237.5 million euros, remain open for tourism enterprises to take advantage of for another year. Complete information on the program is available on the Internet site www.antagonistikotita.gr.

Advertising promotion of Greece’s regions and the resumption of general activities to entice tourism was discussed by the country’s tourism minister last month with representatives and managers of all Greece’s regions.