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Tourism Minister Optimistic At Philoxenia 2012
Posted On 26 Nov 2012
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Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni during the opening ceremony of Philoxenia 2012. “This year’s Philoxenia exhibition can and should be a starting point for a new tourism policy,” she said.
“During these difficult times Greece and the Greek people are going through, tourism can contribute significantly to overturn the climate and restore growth. Tourism could be the greatest comparative advantage for Greece,” Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni said during the opening ceremony of the 28th Philoxenia International Tourism Exhibition held on 22 November at the Thessaloniki International Exhibition Center.
The tourism minister noted that the Tourism Ministry would rely on four basic principles to lead tourism to a new level in 2013: strengthening entrepreneurship through investment facilitation; developing a modern institutional framework for tourism and its special forms; ensuring the quality of infrastructure and tourism services; and investing in the country’s human resources.
According to Mrs Kefalogianni, the ministry plans to promote a tourism model beyond the classic “sun and sea” model, one that would highlight Greece’s many features and alternative forms of tourism such as religious tourism, agritoursim and gastronomy tourism.
“Our goal in 2013 is to bring tourism back on the world stage… We have the opportunity to support our national production, our own forces, and develop those areas that can offer us autonomy and promote the products that will make the country enviable abroad,” she said.
Some 150 exhibitors participated in the 28th Philoxenia. The exhibition welcomed 100 foreign hosted buyers, representatives of major tour operators and travel agencies from Belgium, Denmark, France, Russia, Jordan, China, USA, Britain, Brazil, South Africa etc.
According to Helexpo, some 1,800 business meetings took place between the hosted buyers and Greek Philoxenia exhibitors.
Philoxenia 2012 was organized this year by Helexpo and conference organizer ARTION.
To read up on Philoxenia’s parallel events, click here.
Philoxenia 2012 Photo Report
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- Nikos C. Sapountzis, General Manager of the Thessaloniki Tourism Organization.
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- Aegean Airline's Roula Saloutsi (public relations), Stefanos Sadopoulos (sales director) and Irini Sidiropoulou (sales director for Northern Greece).
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- Rena Damigou, Public Relations, Municipality of Chios
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- HATTA President Yiorgos Telonis with the association's vice president, Despina Amarantidou, and members Maria Theofanopoulou, Lysandros Tsilidis and Vasiliki Skagia.
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- Thessaloniki Mayor Yiannis Boutaris (center) with HATTA's vice president, Despina Amarantidou, and president, Giorgos Telonis.
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- Hosted buyers from India, Dhaval Jangla, Director at Enterprising Travel Agents Association (left) and Vijesh Thakker, CEO at Vidilon Group of Companies (right), at HATTA's stand with the association's president, Yiorgos Telonis, and members Vasiliki Skagia and Lysandros Tsilidis.
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- Regional Vice Governor of Kerkyra Christos Skourtis giving an interview to local media.
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- GTP's Maria Theofanopoulou with Dinos Mitsiou, President and CEO Amphitrion Holidays.
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- Laconia Hotel Association President Dimitris Pollalis with Chairman of the Tourism Committee of Municipality of Monemvasia Charalampos Lyras.
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- Students from the University of Tourism and Management in Skopje visited the Philoxenia tourism exhibition.
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- Maroulis Travel Manager Vassilis Maroulis, Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises President Andreas Andreadis, HATTA member Maria Theofanopoulou, HATTA President Yiorgos Telonis and Maroulis Travel Vice President Spyros Maroulis at HATTA's stand.
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- Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises (SETE) President Andreas Andreadis and Andreas Stylianopoulos, president and CEO of Navigator Travel and Tourist Services.
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- Thessaloniki Mayor Yiannis Boutaris (center) at the stand of Evia Island with Kostas Vlachostergios, chairman of the development association of North Evia "Aneliksi" and Nikos Peppas, responsible for the tourism promotion of Evia.
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- Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) Vice President Christoforos Kaparounakis, Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni, Tourism Ministry Secretary General Anastasios Liaskos and Helexpo President Paris Mavridis at the GNTO stand.
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- Supervisor of the Greek Breakfast program Giorgos Pittas at the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels stand.
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- Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni during the opening ceremony of Philoxenia 2012. "This year's Philoxenia exhibition can and should be a starting point for a new tourism policy," she said.
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- Greek Travel Pages' Thanassis Cavdas was on call at GTP's stand throughout the Philoxenia 2012 exhibition.
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- Civitel Hotels & Resorts stand. Civitel represent four properties – two in Athens and two in Crete – that offer the very best of Greek hospitality combined with international standards. The name Civitel comes from joining the words Civic and Hotel, reflecting the company's civic values and honoring Greek civilization.
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- Filos Holidays & Travel's Stand. Filos Holidays and Travel is a tour operator that specializes in incoming travel services in Greece and has been operating in Thessaloniki since 1997.
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- Regional vice governor of the South Aegean region, Eleftheria Ftaklaki, at the South Aegean's stand.
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- Regional vice governor of Apostolia (Litsa) Likou of the North Aegean region at the North Aegean's stand.
