Minister: Opening to Tourism Gave Strength to Greece’s Brand Name

Greek Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis.

Greek Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis on Wednesday exchanged views on tourism in Covid-19 times with industry representatives during a webinar held by the European Travel Agents & Tour Operators Association (ECTAA).

Titled Tourism of Tomorrow, the webinar focused specifically on the case of Greece and the impact the coronavirus crisis is having on the industry, including the reshaping of its future landscape.

During the webinar, Minister Theoharis referred to the opening of Greece’s borders on July 1, which, as he said, had three specific objectives:

– To open with the use of protocols in collaboration with all industry stakeholders.
– To make sure that every tourist who wanted to visit Greece was able to, which is the reason that country had to keep its skies and other entry points open.
– To ensure that the tourists who would visit Greece, would enjoy the Greek tourism experience and return to their homelands safe and healthy.

“This was the big bet and by winning it we strengthened the brand name of our country and established it internationally as a safe destination,” he said.

Moreover, ECTAA’s webinar looked at the way demand is changing, how the industry is reacting to this change and how, amidst the crisis, the industry can stay on course to make travel and tourism more sustainable.

The webinar was organized in partnership with the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO).