Greece Ready to Host UNWTO Int’l Meeting on Silk Road Tourism – October 10-12

Greece will be the first European country to host the UNWTO International Meeting on Silk Road Tourism, a collaborative initiative designed to enhance sustainable tourism development along the historic Silk Road route.

The UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the Greek Tourism Ministry and the Region of Central Macedonia have partnered together to organize the high level international event, now in its 8th year, in the Greek northern city of Thessaloniki during October 10-12.

May 2018 – Greek Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura and UNWTO Secretary General Zurab Pololikashvili at the signing of the agreement to co-organize the 8th International Meeting on Silk Road Tourism.

Following the success of the previous two editions in Dunhuang (2013) and Xi’an (2015) in China, the international Silk Road meeting will be hosted for the very first time by a European Silk Road Member State.

Attended by over 25 Silk Road countries, the main objective of the event is to highlight the leading role of the Silk Road in tourism, its opportunities and its interconnectivity in a globalized environment.

To count upon the participation of Silk Road Member States, UNWTO Affiliate Members and international partner agencies, interested stakeholders from around the globe, both public and private, are invited to attend the event that will count upon a ministerial roundtable and specialized sessions focused on assessing the role and relevance of the historic Silk Road routes within a globalized setting.

Moreover, together with the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), a joint session assessing the Silk Road’s role in bridging Europe with Asia will take place, after which a B2B session aimed at strengthening business ties between European and Asian stakeholders will be held during the second day of the event.

Primarily focused on tourism partnerships, but open to all business sectors, stakeholders interested in exploring the vast opportunities of trans-continental exchange are encouraged to make the most of the networking opportunity. Participation in the B2B session is free of cost; only registration for the event is required.

The meeting, which is expected to be a landmark event for the Region of Central Macedonia, is also considered an excellent opportunity for Thessaloniki to gain publicity for its tourism and MICE offerings.

The venues hosting the 8th UNWTO International Meeting on Silk Road Tourism are the Grand Hotel Palace and the Thessaloniki Concert Hall.

Event partners to the event include Aegean Airlines, the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, the Thessaloniki Convention Bureau (TCB), the Thessaloniki Tourism Organization, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) and Travel Weekly.

To register for the 8th UNWTO International Meeting on Silk Road Tourism, click here.