Athens is changing and is expected this year to accommodate an extra 700,000 tourists compared to 2013, the mayor of the Greek capital, Giorgos Kaminis, said on 14 April. The mayor was speaking to the Greek and international media during a press conference held within the framework of the two-day event Travel Trade Athens 2014 at the Megaron Athens International Conference Center.
Mr. Kaminis referred to recent data and said tourism in the Greek capital is developing very positively. “Athens recorded a 32 percent increase in arrivals during the first quarter of the year,” he said.
The mayor also referred to the development plan The Athens Project, a 10-year multidimensional development plan for the city of Athens, financed by EU restructuring funds that amount to 120 million euros. Seven million euros will be invested in actions to upgrade the Greek capital’s tourism product and promote the city’s services.
Travel Trade Athens: The signature annual trade event for the Greek capital
Travel Trade Athens first launched last year as part of the strategy of the Municipality of Athens to promote the Greek capital in the international tourism market and strengthen its popularity as a travel destination.
Travel Trade Athens 2014 – B2B meetings between Greek tourism professionals and tour operators, travel agents, conference and corporate meetings organizers from 22 countries.
This year, the event kicked off on 14 April with pre-scheduled B2B meetings between 170 Greek tourism professionals and suppliers and 85 professional buyers-tour operators, travel agents, conference and corporate meetings organizers from 22 countries.
The hosted buyers will also attend a hospitality program and will be introduced to the tourism portfolio and competitive advantages of Metropolitan Athens as a tourism destination.
Travel Trade Athens 2014 will also include an International Summit on City Tourism & Urban Tourism Development, scheduled to take place on Tuesday 15 April at the Megaron.
The summit will focus on issues concerning the role and impact of tourism in cities and the development of urban experiences for visitors and residents. Success stories of destinations that have invested in city tourism planning will also be presented.
In addition, journalists, bloggers and media representatives from Europe, the U.S. and Cyprus have been invited to cover the Travel Trade Athens 2014 event.
It is reminded that during last year’s Travel Trade Athens, 1,400 B2B meetings took place between Greek professionals and hosted buyers from abroad. The mayor of Athens expects this year’s meetings to reach over 2,000.
Travel Trade Athens is organized by the Athens Development and Destination Management Agency through the Athens Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACVB) with the cooperation of the European Tour Operators Association (ETOA).
