Minister Kountoura Aims to Get Greece into World’s Top 5 Destinations

Alternate Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura.

Pointing to Greece’s resilience in trying times and to tourism’s strong performance despite the shortcomings, Alternate Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura said the country can become one of the world’s top 5 destinations in terms of quality offerings and number of arrivals during the 26th “The Greek Economy Conference” this week.

Addressing the event organized by the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, the Ms Kountoura stressed that her ministry is working closely with tourism operators, industry players, private investors as well as with regional and local authorities to strengthen the Greek tourism product, and that the positive results are already visible.

“The Greek tourist market maintained its global competitiveness in difficult times for the domestic economy and for society. We dealt with the unprecedented issue of capital controls promptly and effectively with initiatives and actions and thus convinced the world’s traveling public to trust us,” Ms Kountoura said.

“We have worked hard with a sense of responsibility towards our fellow citizens and our country to keep the momentum in Greek tourism going, promoting an image of Greece that in the most critical hours responded immediately, sought opportunities, implemented innovative ideas and continued to offer high quality products and services to visitors, securing an attractive and stable environment for investment.”

Ms Kountoura concluded with a presentation of the ministry’s six-pronged strategy for 2016 which centers on extending the tourism season, reaching out to new markets, developing thematic and alternative forms of tourism, working with the private sector as well as with local and regional authorities for the far-reaching and unified promotion of Greece, re-examining tourism legislation and strengthening ministry structure, and boosting entrepreneurship and investment.