Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias gave an interview to CNN’s “Quest Means Business” show and journalist Richard Quest, as part of his presence at the World Travel Market International Fair in London.
Mr. Kikilias stated that Greece will be open all year round so that anyone who chooses can visit it, while referring to his contacts with tour operators, travel agents, airlines from Great Britain, the USA, France and the hard work done to open the tourist season in Greece in early spring (March-April).
The Minister of Tourism stressed that 2022 will be a very good year for Greek tourism and that this will not happen by chance.
“We work hard and fight to ‘win over’ every traveler, offering a new tourist experience, ‘illuminating’ new destinations: more islands, small and large, the mainland, the city break,” he said, always keeping in mind the course of the pandemic.
Asked about the infrastructure of specific popular destinations, Mr. Kikilias said that Greece has 320 million euros from the RRF to strengthen its infrastructure and build new infrastructure where needed.
Asked by Richard Quest if tourism leads to the scenario that we should say “enough”, Vassilis Kikilias replied: “We do not like “enough”, we want more. We want quality, more income, new better paid jobs. We have no problem with quantity, as we have hundreds of destinations from North to South, to which we want to spread out our visitors. It’s not just our branded destinations that were “discovered” by our visitors in the ’50s or’ 60s. We have many more beautiful places that visitors to Greece can discover “.
Latest News
Rhodes Airport Tops Fraport Greece’s Regional Airports in 2024 Performance
According to Fraport's data, more than 35 million passengers (specifically 35.2 million) were handled by Fraport-managed airports during the 11 months.
European Central Bank Cuts Interest Rates by 25 Basis Points
It is the fourth cut of interest rates by Europe’s central bank, a move expected by the markets and financial analysts leading to the rate settling at 3%.
Airbnb: New Measures Add €600 in Extra Costs for Property Owners
Property managers face an immediate administrative fine of 5,000 euros if access to the inspected property is denied or any of the specified requirements are not met.
Economist: Greece Included in the Best Performing Economies in 2024
Meanwhile, Northern European countries disappoint, with sluggish performances from the United Kingdom and Germany.
EasyJet Expands Its Routes from Athens
The airline’s two new routes will be to London Luton and Alicante and they will commence in summer 2025.
Capital Link Forum Highlights Greece’s Economic Resurgence; Honors BoG Gov Stournaras
Capital Link Hellenic Leadership Award recipient, Bank of Greece Gov. Yannis Stournaras, an ex-FinMin, was lauded for his pivotal role during Greece’s economic recovery
Tourist Spending in Greece Up by 14%, Visa Card Analysis Shows
Greece’s capital Athens emerged as the most popular destination, recording a 17% increase in transactions with Visa cards, surpassing even the cosmopolitan island of Mykonos.
Inflation in Greece Unchanged at 2.4% in Nov. 2024
The general consumer price index (CPI) posted a 0.4% decrease in November compared to the previous month
2024 Christmas Holidays: Extended Shop Hours Schedule
The 2024 Christmas Holidays extended shop hours schedule commences on Thursday, December 12 and runs until the end of the year.
ELSTAT: Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Down in October
The number of employed individuals reached 4,284,694, an increase of 67,723 compared to October 2023 (+1.6%) and 22,002 compared to September 2024 (+0.5%).