Greek Tourism Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos on Tuesday addressed a closed session of the World Federation of Tour Operators held in an Athens hotel.

Speaking to ANA, Avramopoulos said he had a very fruitful meeting with representatives of the industry and stressed that in his address he presented the government's view over the tourism sector in the next 10 years. "During this period, substantial reforms will be made to create a modern and more attractive tourist product," the Greek minister said.

The World Federation of Tour Operators is an agency representing a section of the global tourism trend and their estimates were of great importance to the Greek tourism authority, Avramopoulos said, adding that the fact that the closed session was held in Athens highlighted the country's significance in the tourism industry.
Avramopoulos stressed that Greece needed deep institutional and quality reforms to become the world's number one tourism destination.

Avramopoulos meets with IFTO President

Minister of Tourism Development Dimitris Avramopoulos met with Martin Brackenbury, President of the International Federation of Tour Operators and other federation representatives on Tuesday, on the sidelines of an IFTO seminar being held in Athens.

Avramopoulos described the meeting as "very meaningful", during which he had the opportunity to express his views and strategy for Greek tourism over the next 10 years. "It is imperative - if our country is to be competitive - that in-depth, institutional and qualitative changes are made as quickly as possible, so that Greece can become, once again, one of the world's top tourism destinations. This is why the first steps that have been made are in this direction," Avramopoulos said.
"A more friendly and hospitable investment environment has been created, which will attract large investments. However, everyone must take on their respective responsibilities since tourism is one of the country's main pillars of development and progress and of course, a dominant factor of the Greek economy," he added.

On his part, Brackenbury said that he had had a sincere and very useful discussion with Avramopoulos, who briefed Brackenbury on the Greek tourism sector post-Games and about programs that are under way. The IFTO president also said that the first steps have been made towards a cooperation between some of the world's major tour operators and the Greek ministry. The objective, according to Brackenbury, is for the two sides to adopt joint initiatives that will make Greek tourism the country's most successful economic sector.

Source: Athens News Agency

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