Peloponnese, DRV to Join Forces in Tourism
The German Travel Association (DRV) is considering the Peloponnese Region as host to its annual conference in 2019, representatives of the body said after meeting with Peloponnese Region Governor Petros Tatoulis in Berlin, last week during the ITB 2018.
Tatoulis met with Dirk Inger, DRV managing director, and the association’s adviser on national and European affairs, Alexandra Wolframm, in Berlin, where they discussed the possibility of the Peloponnese hosting the DRV’s annual convention next year, as well as the growing interest of German travelers in visiting the region.
Besides the DRV’s convention, Wolframm added that the association is also interested in boosting its presence and collaboration with the Peloponnese Region through the organization of alternative tourism activities throughout the year.
The region has been gaining ground by hosting international events including the recent World Tourism Forum Lucerne (WTFL) Think Tank 2018 held for the first time in Greece, at the Costa Navarino in Pylos, which also hosted the Association of British Travel Agents Travel Convention in 2015.
“We now have extensive experience in organizing major events with an international reach,” said Tatoulis referring to the ABTA convention, while pointing to the key role of the Peloponnese with regard to tourism in the Mediterranean, the Balkans and the wider Southeastern European region.
Inger, meanwhile, also referred to the increased demand for Greece both in terms of tourism and investment.
At the same time, Tatoulis and World Tourism Forum Lucerne Think Tank (WTFL) CEO Martin Barth announced on the sidelines of ITB Berlin the launch of a three-year program implemented in cooperation with the WTFL for the promotion of the Peloponnese as a global model for sustainable tourism development. The three-year plan foresees the establishment of a Peloponnese research center and observatory for sustainable tourism development and practices. It is reminded that Pylos in the Peloponnese was the host destination for the WTFL Think Tank 2018 that took place recently.