The 13th Tourism & Development Conference was held in Athens, on October 20-21, organised by the Association of Hellenic Tourism Enterprises (SETE) and titled "The Strategic Advantages of Greece: Investments & Growth." Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni and Peter Long, the CEO of TUI Travel PLC - one of Europe’s biggest tour operators - attended the event.
Tourism, Mr Samaras said, will receive a boost of €500 million per year in the form of EU subsidies, and that efforts are being made to overcome an EU directive that is hampering the subsidization of major investments. He added that tourism has provided great support to the country during tough times, and condemned those who scoff at efforts to develop the sector such as the liberalization of cruise tourism.
Greece’s biggest challenge in tourism for 2015 will be to extend the holiday season to twelve months a year and increase investments in the sector, the Tourism minister said. Ms Kefalogianni added that 2015 will be a good year for the sector, not just in terms of arrivals and revenues, but also in investments. "The ministry is working towards attracting investment and the response has so far been positive”. Ms Kefalogianni rejected claims that Greece’s good performance in tourism this year is coincidental, saying it’s the result of having a clear vision, a plan and the political will to promote the industry.
The leading European tour operator will bring some 2.2 million tourists to Greece next year, promised TUI head Peter Long. And on his part, SETE president Andreas Andreadis said that tourism has contributed €14 billion in direct revenues this year, and along with air and maritime transport and domestic tourism this figure has reached € 17.1 billion euros as a direct result. The total direct and indirect contribution of tourism to the real economy is between 20.5 and 24.7% of the country’s gross domestic product according to provisional data.
Πηγή: www.greeknewsagenda.gr