Greece will Promote the Authenticity of the Tourism Experiences it Offers

The authentic tourism experiences that visitors can have in Greece will be highlighted in the upcoming promotional actions of the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO), Greek Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias recently said.

Speaking during the conference “Experiential Tourism: Seeking Authenticity” held during the Philoxenia 2021 expo in Thessaloniki, Kikilias referred to the importance of authenticity in the tourism experiences that visitors can live in Greece.

In this context, the minister said that for the first time, Greece will run a campaign abroad showcasing the experiences offered to visitors by winter tourism.

“The campaign will concern the unique beauties, the delicacies and the tours in beautiful locations…  to make them known to the world,” he said.

The minister then referred to the importance of connecting the tourism experience with all the productive sectors of the Greek economy, which will both strengthen Greece’s tourism offering and also create added value for the country.

“Local products show authenticity and offer tourism experiences and are associated with primary production, processing, trade, entrepreneurs in tourist areas and traditional taverns,” he said.

Moreover, Kikilias stressed the need to protect the country’s natural wealth through sustainable tourism development. “This is something we can all achieve together,” he said.

Underlining that in order for this year’s successful tourism performance to not be a “temporary trend”, Kikilias stressed that the ministry will focus on boosting Greece’s popularity next year, increasing visitors and highlighting all regions of the country that can offer unique experiences.

“We should not lose last year’s visitors but multiply them… We want both quantity and quality in tourism. It is a condition to extend the length of the tourism season”, he underlined.

GNTO: We are no longer promoting only ‘sun and sea’

On his part, the GNTO’s secretary general, Dimitris Fragakis, informed that the authentic tourism experiences travelers can live in Greece are at the heart of the organization’s new three-year communication strategy.

“We no longer promote only ‘sun and sea’, but also what the world does not know: the authenticity, the unique identity, the people, what makes us stand out and be one of the most important tourism destinations in the world,” he said.

The secretary general informed that the GNTO was soon going to launch a special campaign to promote the country’s winter tourism mainland destinations. A campaign that will promote city break tourism in Greece will follow

“It is up to us to make the country an even more important destination in the next five years,” Fragakis added.

Philoxenia’s “Experiential Tourism: Seeking Authenticity” conference focused on the need to understand and evaluate the tourist experience, as well as explore how a destination should be presented to be attractive to visitors.

The conference, which was held under the auspices of the GNTO, saw the participation of renowned academics, leading representatives of tourism associations and agencies, and well-known professionals of the domestic tourism market.