The strong interest of the Dutch tourism market in Greece as a destination of experiences, culture, and authenticity was confirmed during the Greek Tourism Workshop, held at the Van der Valk Den Haag – Nootdorp Hotel in The Hague on Thursday, October 30.
The event was held under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Rural Development and Food, and the Embassy of Greece in The Hague. It was another initiative by Tourism Media & Events aimed at enhancing Greek tourism’s external engagement and developing strategic partnerships with leading representatives of the Dutch tourism sector.
The first part of the event included private B2B meetings between Greek destinations and tourism enterprises and 47 top Dutch travel agents and tour operators, as well as 6 Dutch media representatives. The meetings focused on creating new collaborations, broadening the tourism product, and strengthening the seasonal dispersion of arrivals to Greece.
Following the business meetings, presentations by Greek regions and bodies emphasized the uniqueness and differentiation of Greek destinations. Opening remarks were made by Mr. Apostolos Michalopoulos, Head of the Economic & Commercial Affairs Office at the Greek Embassy in The Hague, who highlighted the strong bilateral relations between Greece and the Netherlands and pointed to emerging opportunities for further enhancing cooperation between the two countries in tourism.
Presentations were made by the honored Region of Eastern Macedonia & Thrace with Deputy Regional Governor Mr. Panagiotis Archontis; the Region of Western Greece by Dr. Lavrentios Vassiliadis, Head of Education, Culture, Sports, Tourism, and Employment; the Region of Peloponnese by Ms. Paraskevi Gialou; the Region of Crete by Tourism Deputy Regional Governor Dr. Kyriakos Kotsoglou; SKY express by Mr. Joris Cruysberghs; the Heraklion Chamber of Commerce by Ms. Lena Stefanoudaki, Head of Business Support; and the Region of Central Macedonia by Ms. Aikaterini Kolia, Head of Tourism Promotion.
The event concluded in a very positive atmosphere, with Dutch professionals expressing enthusiasm for the breadth and quality of Greek proposals, confirming Greece’s steady rise as a top destination in Northern Europe.
Sponsors of the event were the Regions of Eastern Macedonia & Thrace, Central Macedonia, Crete, Peloponnese, and Western Greece; the Municipalities of Kalymnos, Rethymno, and Chios; the Heraklion Chamber of Commerce the “Greek Breakfast” initiative of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels and SKY express.
Aegean Airlines was the official airline sponsor, and Tourismtoday.gr served as communications sponsor.
