Samos Island’s Culinary Delights Impress Dutch Market

The cooking workshop in Amsterdam. Photo source: GNTO.

The Greek island of Samos recently showcased its culinary delights to the Dutch market during a gastronomy event held in Amsterdam by the Greek National Tourism Organization’s (GNTO) branch in the Netherlands.

The event, part of GNTO’s promotional actions for Samos, was attended by 65 Dutch media representatives, food bloggers, and opinion makers as well as professional tourism tour operators.

Guests were treated to a cooking workshop at the Kookfabriek in Amsterdam, where they cooked alongside renowned Greek chef Andreas Lagos.

social media posts following the workshop. Photo source: GNTO.

The workshop was followed by a dinner accompanied by a series of Samos wines and spirits, and a presentation on the Pythagorean diet and wine tourism by Margarita Ikariou, Marketing and Communication Manager of the United Winemaking Agricultural Cooperative of Samos (UWC SAMOS).

The dinner’s menu, created by chef Giorgos Sakoulis, represented Samos cuisine while including vegan, vegetarian, and pescatarian options.

According to the GNTO, the event was an excellent opportunity for Samos to showcase its gastronomy to the Dutch market. The island received numerous publications in print and social media, strengthening the promotion of Greece as a leading, contemporary, attractive, and safe tourism destination.

The gastronomy event in Amsterdam will be followed by a familiarization trip to Samos in September, co-organized by the GNTO and tour operator Corendon. The action is part of a promotional agreement signed between GNTO and the East Samos Municipality last January.

(L-R) Chef Andreas Lagos; Marketing and Communication Manager of the United Winemaking Agricultural Cooperative of Samos Margarita Ikariou; Chef Giorgos Sakoulis; East Samos Culture and Tourism Deputy Mayor Despoina Kaila; GNTO Netherlands branch Deputy Head Angela Tzifa; East Samos Mayor Advisor Pigi Kniti; East Samos Deputy Director of Culture, Tourism and Sports Parthenopi Roditou; East Samos Deputy Head of Culture, Tourism and Sports Konstantinos Ktistou. Photo source: GNTO.

Samos a favorite for the Dutch

According to the GNTO, Samos is a favorite destination for Dutch travelers. The Greek island is directly connected to the Netherlands with flights carried out by tour operators Corendon, TUI, and Sunweb, which cooperates with Transavia.

Inbound tourism from the Netherlands recorded 1,058,900 visitors in 2022 compared to 817,800 in 2019, a 29.4 percent growth, according to data from the Bank of Greece.

The Netherlands is the sixth most popular tourism market for Greece, according to an April 2022 study by INSETE. The data showed that 36.5 percent of tourists from Netherlands belong to the 25-54 age group while 41.5 percent are from the 55+ age group.

According to the study, most visitors from the Dutch market have mid to high income, a higher education level and prefer to stay in hotels.