GNTO: Greece Achieves Tourism Goals in 2021 but More Challenges Ahead

GNTO Secretary General Dimitris Fragakis with TIF-Helexpo CEO Kyriakos Pozrikidis during the 85th Thessaloniki International Fair.

Greece achieved its main goals for this year’s tourism season but is still up against challenges, according to Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) Secretary General Dimitris Fragakis.

Taking part in a panel discussion last weekend in Thessaloniki, Fragakis said the Greek government focused on achieving “two goals” set for this year’s tourist season and succeeded.

According to the GNTO’s secretary general, the government’s first goal was to open to tourism safely by applying health protocols and travel procedures that would ensure the health of visitors, employees and society.

The second goal was to have a season much better than last year, reaching even 50 percent of the arrivals of 2019.

“We achieved both goals and we did because we had a specific plan which was carried out successfully and with the assistance of all those involved in the tourism industry,” he said.

According to the latest forecasts, revenues from tourism in Greece could reach 12 billion euros this year.

Challenges are still there

However, Fragakis said that Greek tourism is now facing the “great challenges of the day after”, as Greece moves towards the post-pandemic era.

GNTO Secretary General Dimitris Fragakis with Central Macedonia Deputy Governor for Tourism Alexandros Thanos (left) and Thessaloniki Hotels Association President Andreas Mandrinos during the 85th Thessaloniki International Fair.

“The crisis we are going through is acting as an accelerator of developments and the small victories we have achieved so far in the tourism sector should not make us complacent,” he said.

Listing the biggest challenges of the post-pandemic era, he highlighted the need to focus on sustainability, improve infrastructure, promote the authenticity and the unique identity of Greece, invest in quality services and education, and the need for digitization.

“These are crucial challenges that we must overcome in order to become even stronger against international competition,” he highlighted.

The GNTO secretary general spoke at a panel discussion during the conference “COVID Pandemic: Threat or opportunity?”, organized by the Aristotle University on the sidelines of the 85th  Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF).