SETE: “Marketing Greece” To Be Privately Funded

President of the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises (SETE), Andreas Andreadis.

The public-private marketing company for Greek tourism, Marketing Greece, will be financed exclusively by the private sector and is expected to launch in the first quarter of 2013, the president of the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises (SETE), Andreas Andreadis, announced yesterday, 30 October, while opening the association’s 11th tourism and development conference “Marketing Greece, Promoting the quality side of Modern Greece.”

Marketing Greece is SETE’s long-awaited venture that initially involved the Greek public sector and the association. It was originally planned for the public sector to hold a 30 percent share in the company.

“We will wait for the government to participate at the right moment when it has the finances,” Mr. Andreadis said. Until then, the company will do the things “the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) can not.”

The marketing company for Greek tourism, which has been a request of SETE since 1997, will aim for the development and implementation of Greece’s tourism promotion on an international level.

Speaking on the subject, Mr. Andreadis invited the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels and the Hellenic Association of Communications Agencies (EDEE) to participate in the scheme.

The first session of SETE’s 11th Conference focused on the cooperation between the public and private sectors for the promotion of Greek tourism.

According to Mr. Andreadis, if the hotel chamber and EDEE accept, the company’s new composition of shareholders would be revised: SETE would hold 60-65 percent, the hotel chamber would hold 30 percent and EDEE would hold five to 10 percent.

EDEE’s president, Dimitris Mavros, responded positively to SETE’s invitation and pointed out that the company should focus on promoting the various forms of tourism Greece can offer and showcase the country “area by area” to countries abroad.

However, the hotel chamber’s president, Yiorgos Tsakiris, appeared reserved in regards to SETE’s invitation. “The chamber will consider the proposal very seriously,” he said.

Mr. Tsakiris stressed that as a requirement for the chamber’s participation, the company’s role must be clear to avoid overlapping with the GNTO’s responsibilities.

The company’s Board of Directors would amount to 18 members, as opposed to the original announcement of nine members, since representatives of industry bodies will be included.Marketing Greece will have a 10-member staff.

SETE aims for Marketing Greece to “get off the ground” in the first quarter of 2013 and be in full operation by 2014. For the company’s funding, a roadshow will take place aimed to gather a minimum share capital of 1.2 million euros.

Marketing Greece plans to launch a “world class website” that will provide a full commercial presentation of the country, photo and video gallery, shopping center for tourism services and a press center.

The company will form a public relations network and target key markets such as Russia, UK, Germany, France and the US.

GNTO secretary general, Nikos Karachalios.

On behalf of the GNTO, Nikos Karachalios, the organization’s secretary general, focused on the need for cooperation and synergies.

In regards to “commercial activities,” he confirmed that the GNTO couldn’t support such actions due to Presidential Decree 113.

He also told the audience that the GNTO would undergo a one-year restructuring process. “The present GNTO is not the GNTO we want,” Mr. Karachalios stressed.

The first session of SETE’s 11th conference was opened by Maria Damanaki, European Commissioner responsible for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.

European Commissioner responsible for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Maria Damanaki.

During her speech, she referred to her initiative to develop a new European policy for blue growth (sustainable growth from marine and maritime sectors).

“With this initiative we are promoting policies and financial tools in sea areas where there is untapped potential for growth and new jobs and have chosen five specific areas: blue energy, blue biotechnology, aquaculture, marine mineral resources and marine and coastal tourism,” she said.

Ms. Damanaki said a public consultation was held and that the framework on marine and coastal tourism should be issued by the first quarter of 2013.

“The public consultation focused on four priorities: competitiveness of the industry, viability, promotion and financial support and we had a massive response… I am particularly pleased by the significant participation of the Greek tourism professionals,” she said.

Greek Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni

At the conference luncheon, Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni gave a speech and spoke in regards to public-private sector cooperation.

She underlined that the Tourism Ministry would form “a new cooperation relationship” with SETE, through specific joint actions that will be identified and implemented in a short time through flexible, anti-bureaucratic and viable economical schemes.

“Soon SETE, the GNTO and the ministry will determine the precise areas of cooperation and the right form that will serve our purposes, always for the sake of public interest and the need for quick and concrete results,” she said.