Ol. Kefalogianni on Israel: So far, there are no cancellations – “We are resilient to crises”

Her belief that Greek tourism, as it has proven in the past from multiple crises, can remain competitive even in the crisis in the Middle East, was expressed by the Minister of Tourism, Olga Kefalogiannis, speaking on the show “Atairistoi” on SKAI.

One can see some immediate consequences from the Israeli market; however, so far, there is in no case a wave of cancellations, the minister pointed out, underlining, however, that the latest events invite great concern.

As she said, at the moment no one can answer with any certainty about the effects on Greek tourism, adding, however, that its resilience is proven by the recent crises that it has been called upon to face in recent years.

“Greek tourism over the last 15 years has operated through multiple and very different crises on many levels, and has proven that it is resilient and that it can remain competitive,” he said.

As he said characteristically, “In recent years, we have been forced to face quite a few crises, which have to do with either geopolitical instability – from Ukraine to the flare-up in the Middle East – but also with the pandemic crisis and, more recently, the economic crisis.”

He stressed that “we are monitoring developments” and “it is more important for all of us who are in positions of responsibility to know that we must adapt our policies.”

Greece is a pillar of stability, it remains an attractive destination, it has proven its resilience, and we are moving forward on this path, bearing in mind that we will adapt our policies where necessary, he stressed.

Besides, as she said, the preference indices for Greece remain consistently high even in periods of international concern, and the country is one of the safest and most reliable destinations in the Mediterranean.

Athens won the bet of 12-month tourism bet

Regarding Athens, Ms. Kefalogianni said that the capital has won the big bet of becoming a 12-month destination, dragging along the rest of the country's destinations, and is now among the top city breaks.

Referring to her recent meeting with the Governor of Attica, Mr. N. Hardalias, she emphasized that the international tourism promotion of the Region as the Greater Athens region is preferred, which includes, among others, the Saronic islands and the coastal front which, as she said, due to the large investments is expected to attract high-standard tourism in the coming years.

In addition, he referred to the use of Taekwondo for the creation of a conference center, as well as the restrictions and operating specifications imposed on short-term rentals with the aim of protecting the tourist product. “We want tourism in Athens but we do not want the city to suddenly transform into a tourist park,” he said.

Very positive in 2025 despite the problem in Santorini

For 2025, he emphasized that this is a year with a very positive record despite the problem in Santorini at the beginning of the year, for which an attempt is being made to convey the message that it has opened and is receiving visitors normally.

He referred to the memorandum of cooperation signed by the ministry with the municipality of Thira and municipalities of neighboring islands for the establishment of a DMMO, while regarding the cruise fee, he emphasized that it was imposed so as not to create negative images and to improve the visitor experience, but also to its "absolutely remunerative" nature, with the revenues going to the municipality for local infrastructure, to the Ministry of Shipping for cruise reception infrastructure, and to the Ministry of Tourism for sustainable tourism development.