Olga Kefalogianni at Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry

The actions and initiatives of the Ministry of Tourism for tourism development were analyzed by the Minister of Tourism, Ms. Olga Kefalogianni, at the regular meeting of the Board of Directors of the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ECCI), following the invitation of the President of the Chamber, Mr. Ioannis Bratakou (photo).

Ms. Kefalogianni thanked the President and the administration of ECCI for the continuous cooperation with the Government and the Ministry of Tourism.

In her statement, the Minister emphasized that “the efforts of the government, businesses and the Greek people are recognized internationally”, highlighting the positive results, despite the international crises. Greece, with stable governance, has managed to implement a growth-oriented fiscal policy, which has led the country to primary surpluses, attracting investment and creating jobs.

The Minister also pointed out that tourism remains crucial for the development of Greece. In particular, in 2024, tourism recorded a historic record with revenues of 21.6 billion euros. She made special reference to the increase in arrivals and revenues during the "off-season" and winter months, demonstrating the success of the strategy to extend the tourist season.

In addition, she presented the Ministry's strategy for upgrading tourism infrastructure, promoting special forms of tourism and using digital tools for the modern promotion of the country. Among the priorities, she set the upgrading of the quality of tourism services and the simplification of procedures.

In her speech, Ms. Kefalogianni also referred to the projects implemented with resources from the Recovery and Resilience Fund (RRF), which strengthen specific forms of tourism, such as mountain, spa, maritime, and agrotourism. At the same time, she highlighted the implementation of a training and retraining program for up to 20,000 tourism workers and long-term unemployed, as part of the strategy for upgrading skills and adapting education to modern market needs.

In closing, she stressed the importance of systematic synergies between central government, businesses, and local bodies to strengthen the tourism product and support local communities.

A discussion followed with the members of the Board of Directors of the Hellenic Tourism Association (EVEA) on issues such as tourism education, destination development, the connection of tourism with trade and processing, the development of conference tourism, as well as the framework for short-term rentals, especially for Athens.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations, Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report