Egnatia Odos Links Northern Greece

Representatives from the prefectures that attended the agreement signed for the development of the Egnatia Odos motorway. On far right HATTA’s president Argyro Phili.

A program contract was signed recently in Xanthi for the tourism development of the Egnatia Odos motorway and approved by 11 prefectural councils of Thrace, Macedonia and Epirus.

The Greek National Tourism Organization General Secretary Iraklis Valvis hailed the prefectural councils initiative and emphasized that the GNTO and the tourism ministry always support such initiatives.

Mr. Valvis said that the Egnatia Odos motorway will be operational in 2009 and will turn the adjacent prefectures into attractive destinations.

“We are actually talking about a new tourist ‘curve’ that will extend along the length of the Egnatia Odos,” he said.

The Hellenic Association of Travel and Tourist Agencies also approved of the program contract as “the tourism map of northern Greece has been changed as a new tourist destination has been added.

“This initiative consolidates all tourist destinations in Northern Greece that until now were difficult to reach,” the association said.