Tourism Min. Says Greece Plans to Become Ultimate “Top of Mind” Destination for Americans

Greek Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni took part in a teleconference organized by the Greek-American Chamber of Commerce to utilize promotional approaches to make Greece an even more appealing destination to a larger group percentage of Americans.

The initiative confirmed the positive climate as it was reflected in the recent trip of the Minister of Tourism to the USA, but also to determine the initiatives that will lead to further improvement of the Greece-USA relationship in the tourism sector.

The Greek Minister noted that there is now a strategic plan to make Greece a “top of mind” destination for North American citizens (a measure of how high brands rank in the consciousness of consumers) as the dynamics of this specific market are particularly important. She emphasized the opening of the Greek tourism market to the western coast regions of the USA, expanding Greece’s reach from the eastern coast.

Kefalogianni pointed out that Greece had to invest more in cultural tourism and mild forms of tourism, such as agritourism and gastronomic tourism, showcasing and proposing a new perspective of Greece, beyond the typical sun and the sea, which will benefit the local communities and sustainability.

During the teleconference, which also included the General Secretary of EOT, Dimitris Fragakis, the General Director of the Greek-American Chamber of Commerce, Elias Spirtounias, the President of the Tourism Committee of the Chamber, Mr. Tim Ananiadis, the need for reskilling and upskilling of professionals and staff in the hospitality industry, as well as accelerating investments in hotel units was also broached.

The General Secretary of EOT, Dimitris Fragakis, stressed that the time is right to intensify Greece’s presence in the North American markets and added that the Ministry of Tourism and EOT are open to proposals and collaborations.

Both Olga Kefalogianni and the members of the Tourism Committee emphasized the positive development that has taken place with the increase of direct flights from the USA to Athens, but also the maturation of the discussion for flights from the USA to Thessaloniki.