Trade Associations

Although not much came out of it, the country’s National Tourism Council met last month for the first time under the present government. But the country’s tourism minister did announce a promise a 9-point legislation for tourism development and investment.

The land use question once again was the focus of a meeting last month of the governmental committee handling Greece’s tourism sector. Public Works Minister Giorgos Souflias vowed to table legislation on land use and the designation of new areas for tourism development.

The Greek Chamber of Hotels says that the increase in opening hours of shops and museums in the country, as recently proposed by the government, is a positive step towards bolstering tourism.

Greece is considering building a Formula One racetrack to tune up the country’s vital tourism industry. However, the venue for the track is causing some problems for government leaders.

Greece has to pursue deep institutional and qualitative changes in its tourism industry so as to become one of the world’s most popular destinations, Tourism Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos said during a recent meeting with members of Europe’ biggest and most influential tour operators federation.

The travel exhibition industry will soon be speaking with a stronger voice as ETTFA – the European Tourism Trade Fairs Association – goes global.

Athens Mayor Dora Bakoyannis last month submitted a proposal before City Council to establish a tourism development agency, in cooperation with the private sector, as part of efforts to raise the Greek capital’s profile as a year-round tourist destination.

Tourism Development Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos announced a major Greek tourism promotion drive in the U.S. market on the first day of a tourism workshop organized by the Hellenic-American Chamber of Tourism. “The U.S. is a high-priority market for us, especially now that we are launching our new tourism strategy,” he said.

Greece’s tourism promotion campaign steams ahead in both Europe and the USA. The first phase of the 60-million-euro campaign has been completed and the second phase is now in full force.

The heads of four local authorities surrounding the huge former Olympic sites near the old Athens international airport, which had been earmarked four years ago to become “Europe’s largest” metropolitan park, last month joined forces to express fear that the much of the Hellenikon area would be left to commercial enterprises to exploit.