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Greek Cuisine at ‘FoodTreX’ Food Travel 2019 Event in Thessaloniki

White Tower, Thessaloniki. Photo source: Visit Greece / KKouzouni

White Tower, Thessaloniki. Photo source: Visit Greece / KKouzouni

Greece’s northern city of Thessaloniki in October 2019 will have the opportunity to present its food tourism offerings as the host destination to the new “FoodTreX” food travel conference.

Launched recently by the World Food Travel Association (WFTA), the FoodTreX brand was created as the umbrella brand name for the association’s food and beverage travel trade events.

“The Foodtrex brand stands for ‘Food Travel Experience‘ and gives us the opportunity to spread the food tourism message around the world, in smaller markets,” WFTA Executive Director Erik Wolf told GTP Headlines on the sidelines of the sidelines of this year’s World Travel Market (WTM) trade show held recently in London.

WFTA Executive Director Erik Wolf at the Greek stand during WTM London 2018.

WFTA Executive Director Erik Wolf at the Greek stand during WTM London 2018.

The first Foodtrex event (FoodTreX London | Food Travel Innovation Summit) was held in central London on November 4. During the one-day conference, a qualified handful of leading experts in their fields discussed, in depth, their area of expertise and its impact on food and beverage tourism.

The FoodTreX event in Thessaloniki will be the second time northern Greece will have the chance to present the benefits and opportunities of joining food and drink with travel and hospitality, following an international workshop on food tourism held in Alexandroupolis in September 2018 and held under the auspices of the WFTA.

“The event in Alexandroupolis was a very positive event and people were very happy that it took place. I think people were surprised that an event of that caliber could take place in a smaller town of northern Greece… Some great stories were told there regarding local olive oil and white wines,” Erik said.

The 2019 FoodTreX event in Thessaloniki will include a series of successive speeches (that will not surpass 30 minutes each), local product demonstrations and tastings.

Greece and food tourism

Nightlife in Thessaloniki. Photo source: Visit Greece / KKouzouni

Nightlife in Thessaloniki. Photo source: Visit Greece / KKouzouni

According to Eric, the FoodTreX Thessaloniki event will contribute to boosting Greece’s food tourism reputation to markets abroad.

“Greece has one of those cuisines that people always talk about but perhaps have not actually experienced… Americans always say ‘I know Greek food’ but what they really know is American-Greek food, something that is quite different,” Eric underlined.

“I think the biggest message to tourism destinations is to look for their Unique Selling Proposition (USP) and I believe that Greece has a tremendously underutilized potential with it’s food and beverage,” he said.

The “Greek Breakfast of Thessaloniki” was presented at a special event by the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels. Guests had the opportunity to sample various creations that will be included on the breakfast menus of hotels in Thessaloniki.

Archive photo of the “Greek Breakfast of Thessaloniki”. Photo by GTP

Regarding Greek food, the first thing that impressed Eric was the “Greek Breakfast” program, an initiative launched by the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels in 2010. “I think the Greek Breakfast program is something that is not promoted enough… The fact that you can come and basically stay at any hotel and can get the local foods of that area wherever you are in Greece… That is a fantastic selling point,” Eric told GTP Headlines.

Moreover, Eric added that he believes that many do not understand that there are regional variations in Greek cuisine, which is definitely worth promoting.

Wine & Cheese

“The wines are different, the cheeses are different, the sauces are different, the meats that are used in different parts of Greece are different, while some destinations focus on fish, others not so much… So I really believe that there is an opportunity for Greece to work on its USP through Greek cuisine,” he added.

As Eric pointed out, Spain and Italy are repeat food tourism destinations, according to research on consumer preferences. Peru is shown relatively high in recent years, while Greece is only occasionally mentioned by foodies.

“Greece is not frequently mentioned and this is where I believe that there could be a much bigger opportunity for Greece. You have a wonderful cuisine,” Eric said, adding that food tourism could add to Greece’s tourism product along with sea, sun and culture.

The FoodTreX conference series by the WFTA is designed for food, beverage, travel and hospitality professionals, including destination marketers and governments; small business owners and entrepreneurs; marketing managers and strategists; branding, PR and advertising professionals; product developers; trainers and educators; bloggers; students forging their career path; and any other professionals with an interest in food and beverage tourism.

Based in the United States, the WFTA may open a European branch in 2019.

WFTA ambassadors in Greece are Maria Athanasopoulou, owner of Respond on Demand and Chrysa Krassa of Top Tourism.

Follow GTP Headlines on Google News to keep up to date with all the latest on tourism and travel in Greece.
About the Author
Nikos is Greek-American born in New York, USA, and has lived in Greece for over 30 years. He is the managing editor of Greece's leading monthly travel and tourism guide, the Greek Travel Pages (GTP) since June 2008 and of news site GTP Headlines since its launch in September 2012. Nikos has also served as international press officer for the City of Athens and for the mayor. He has a degree in Mass Media and Communications, specializing in Journalism. Nikos is a native English speaker and speaks Greek fluently.

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