Philoxenia 2013 Sees Visitor Numbers Increase – Photo Report

The 29th International Tourism Exhibition Philoxenia in Thessaloniki, Northern Greece, saw a 20 percent increase in trade visitors this year compared with last year’s exhibition, according to organizer TIF-Helexpo.

The Philoxenia exhibition took place this year 21-24 November along with the 9th International Exhibition for Local Government, Public and Social Sector & Private Enterprises (POLIS).

According to TIF-Helexpo, both exhibitions attracted a total of 9,815 guests to the Thessaloniki International Exhibition Center. Specifically, Philoxenia welcomed 7,856 visitors and Polis welcomed 1,959. Trade visitors to both exhibitions amounted to 3,848.

TIF-HELEXPO President Tasos Tzikas

The turnout of the general public interested in learning the latest developments in the tourism sector and local government was quite impressive.

The number of visitors to both exhibitions amounted to 5,548.

“This shows the prospect of Philoxenia becoming a reference point for tourism in Southeast Europe,” the organizer said.

The 100 hosted buyers who visited the Philoxenia exhibition held over 1,300 B2B meetings with Greek enterprises. The hosted buyers came from 33 countries in Europe, the Balkans, Asia, U.S., Canada, Brazil and Africa.

In regards to participation, Philoxenia this year hosted 235 exhibitors.

Greek Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni and the Greek National Tourism Organization’s Secretary General Panos Livadas at the GNTO’s stand.

Philoxenia 2013: Exhibitors

Exhibitor’s at the 29th Philoxenia international tourism exhibition included:

Tourism enterprises

Mouzenidis Travel

Qatar Airways

Beleon Tours

Filos Holidays & Travel

Meli Tours

Greek destinations

Exhibitors from abroad

Highlights

Panagiotis Zelelidis, president of the Macedonia – Thrace Hotel Managers Association, speaking at the association’s second annual conference.

Highlights of both exhibitions included the POLIS conference on “Creative cities – Combining innovation with sustainable growth,” co-organised by TIF-HELEXPO and OTS; and the two Philoxenia conferences: “Macedonia-Thrace: Sites of Saints, Sites of Pilgrims” (of the Ministry of Macedonia-Thrace and the Holy Metropolis of Thessaloniki held in cooperation with the Synodical Office of Pilgrimage Tours of the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece and with TIF-HELEXPO) and “The Role of new markets in the growth of Greek tourism” (the second annual conference of the Macedonia-Thrace Hotel Managers Association).

According to TIF-Helexpo, the conferences held on the sidelines of Philoxenia, developed important concerns for local government and Greek tourism.

Parallel events

Other parallel events held during this year’s Philoxenia included a briefing by the Greek Tourism Ministry and the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO); a briefing by the Hellenic Association of Travel & Tourist Agencies (HATTA); the Hellenic Federation of Hoteliers’ annual council of hotel associations; a presentation of “Greek Breakfast of Thessaloniki”; and a series of press conferences/media events on many Greek destinations such as Halkidiki, Chios, the Region of South Aegean, the Region of North Aegean, the Region of Eastern Macedonia-Thrace, Parga and Milos.

Next year’s Philoxenia will be held 20-23 November.