Moves for the promotion of Greek gastronomy tourism

With the aim of promoting Greece as a gastronomic destination and the promotion of the country’s products abroad, the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels decided to give impetus to the action of the famous Israeli chef Atalya Ein Mor who has visited Crete, highlighting individual thematic gastronomic areas of the renown island, according to a relevant announcement.

The Israeli chef has been in Crete since the end of April, while Israeli groups are expected to meet with her over about the next 6 months, getting to know the Greek and especially the Cretan diet.

Last week, the President of the Hotel Chamber of Greece Alexandros Vasilikos completed a two-day visit to the prefecture of Lassithi, where special gastronomic events were held (in Orino, Makris Gialos, Schinokapsala, Diaskari, and the monastery of Topra). Deputy Minister of Tourism Sofia Zacharaki who, like the Minister of Tourism Haris Theocharis, has supported the initiative from the beginning.

As Mr. Vasilikos underscored: “Since 2012, the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels has highlighted the positive interaction of tourism with local communities. Especially with the pioneering program “Greek Breakfast”, we are building bridges of cooperation between hoteliers and producers throughout Greece , highlighting local products, strengthening their extroversion and bringing to the fore the gastronomic culture of each region. With our visit to the mountain villages of Crete, we actively support gastronomy tourism, showing the way forward. A new model of quality tourism that will include and further strengthen local communities “.

An ardent supporter of the project, the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Ms. Sofia Zacharaki, met with Atalya Ein Mor and the Israeli culinary travelers on Wednesday and Thursday to strengthen the project, according to the same announcement.

Besides, as the competent deputy minister, she has set the systematic promotion of the gastronomy tourism of Greece as a first priority .

Since last Sunday, the Israeli chef is touring the villages of Lassithi, along with her first group of 10 Israelis for this year. They get to know the authentic recipes from local cooks, accompanied by raki treats, and participate in cooking workshops, where they have the opportunity to learn the special Cretan recipes in practice .

It is noted that Atalya Ein Mor was born and raised in Jerusalem. She likes to cook Israeli cuisine – and more specifically Shakshuka – as she says “Israel is a great mix of culture from around the world and food is a mix”. With this in mind and wanting to bring people of different cultures together, she provides exceptional gastronomic events: meals, workshops, exclusive gatherings and gastronomic tours that reveal the deepest secrets of Ein Kerem, Jerusalem.

Finally, referring to her presence in Crete, she stated: “Through this delicious tour, visitors have the opportunity to get to know the tradition of Eastern Crete. Traditional food is the best way to get acquainted with a foreign culture. In this area of ​​Crete, the traditional recipes retain their authenticity “.