Russian Tourists Keen on Athos Wine and Religious Tourism

Religious tourism and enotourism were at the center of the Mount Athos Area Organization’s latest promotional efforts during the 22nd  Moscow International Exhibition Travel & Tourism (MITT) held in Russia, last week.

As part of its ongoing promotional action plan and in efforts to attract Russian holidaymakers to the Halkidiki peninsula in northern Greece, the Mount Athos Area Organization arranged, among others, a series of B2B meetings while presenting two innovative initiatives which bring together the region’s rich wine producing tradition with local legends and myths as well as the introduction of special religious itineraries of Byzantine chapels and churches as well as ancient monuments and museums in Ouranoupolis and Ammouliani, featuring Athonite cultural heritage.

In the meantime, local authorities presented the ongoing “Come and Let Us Introduce You to the Agion Oros” initiative aimed at male travelers interested in visiting the semi-autonomous monastic unit of 20 working monasteries.

Russian visitors at the MITT expressed particular interest in wedding ceremony and honeymoon deals while local professionals worked together to present special package tours for alternative tourism seekers.

In the meantime, the organization is planning a fam trip for this coming fall to introduce Russian tour operators and travel journalists to the wine and religious offerings of the area.

A World Heritage site, Mount Athos and its surrounding region offer visitors to Greece a unique experience with world-acclaimed events like the month-long “Mount Athos Area Kouzina”, which kicks off on May 15, featuring Athos culinary traditions as well as innovative dishes using local products.

Photo source: Mount Athos Area Organization