MITT 2017 Shows Signs of Stronger Russian Travel Interest in Greece – Photos

All the more Russian travelers are selecting Greece as a holiday destination, according to feedback collected at the Moscow International Travel & Tourism Exhibition (MITT), held this week.

According to the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO), which was actively present at MITT with its own stand and awarded for its presence, more Russian travelers are booking ahead with local tour operators referring to a 20 percent rise in online searches for Greece destinations and sector professionals expecting visitors from Russia to exceed 1 million.

GNTO Director for Dept Russia and CIS Polykarpos Efstathiou holding the Best Presance at MITT 2017 award that was given to the Greek stand. On his left is Aggeliki Fotopoulou from the GNTO’s market research & advertising department.

”The encouraging messages from Russia are the result of a targeted communication strategy… as well as of a speedier Schengen visa procedure for Russian citizens wishing to travel to our country,’’ said GNTO Secretary General Dimitris Tryfonopoulos.

GNTO press conference at MITT 2017: Nestoras Tyrovouzis Greek Embassy press officer; Eleni Vakalis, Consul General of Greece in Moscow; and Polykarpos Efstathiou, GNTO Director for Dept Russia and CIS.

During a press conference, Greek tourism officials underlined the readiness of the Greek consular services in Russia in efforts to meet the increased demand for visas by Russian nationals wishing to travel to Greece, adding that the number of approved visas rose by more than 100 percent in the first two months of the year.

The GNTO was also awarded by Russian tour operator ΤΕΖ TOUR as its leading partner during the TEZ WorldBerry Awards.

Moscow Citizens Mostly Traveled to Greece in 2016

On the sidelines of the MITT expo, the report “Trends and opportunities in the market of Russian outbound tourism in season 2017” was presented by market research company Ipsos Comcon.

The report provided insight on trends in the travel behavior of Russians in 2016. Among key findings was that outbound travellers from Moscow mostly traveled to Greece in 2016. Moreover, it was said that Greece was the third destination of choice for citizens of St. Petersberg, following Finland and the Baltic countries.

Greece @ MITT 2017

The Greek Travel Pages (GTP) was an official media partner of MITT 2017.