Presentation of the Bike Friendly label at the Regional Tourism Council’s videoconference

H. Theoharis: ‘In July, we had 1.3 million visitors, with 400 recorded COVID-19 cases’

The Minister of Tourism emphasized that the number of imported cases is low and focused on the importance of adhering to health protocols and managing detected cases.

Tourism Minister Mr. Haris Theoharis highlighted the need for constant vigilance and the effectiveness of preventive measures at tourist entry points to Greece during a videoconference of the Regional Tourism Council. He remarked, “We must not become complacent. It is crucial that cases are detected promptly, which shows that the controls are effective. However, we must not forget that the number of imported cases is low. Most cases are domestic, as the Prime Minister has also stated earlier.”

The Regional Tourism Council, chaired by Mr. Theoharis, convened on Wednesday, August 5th, via videoconference, with the participation of deputy regional governors responsible for tourism from various regions. The Regional Governor of the Ionian Islands, Ms. Rodi Kratsa, also participated.

The Minister opened the session with a general update, referring to the results recorded since the reopening of Greek tourism after the first wave of the pandemic. He focused on the adherence to health protocols and the management of detected cases.

Mr. Theoharis highlighted the importance of the recent approval of the third support program for domestic tourism, with the establishment of a voucher system for tourism businesses. “This program, worth over 10 million euros, allows private companies, in agreement with a tourist accommodation, to offer discount vouchers to their employees for this year’s vacations,” said Mr. Theoharis. He added, “The ‘Tourism for All’ program of the Ministry of Tourism, which we revived, exceeded all expectations in demand. Therefore, from the initial 30 million euros allocated, we will now exceed 80 million euros, covering the 750,000 beneficiaries who applied. The two programs of the Ministry of Tourism (voucher and ‘Tourism for All’), combined with the OAED’s Social Tourism program, which will allocate about 37 million euros, confirm the significant efforts by the Greek government to support domestic tourism.”

During the session, Mr. Theoharis listened to the concerns of the responsible deputy regional governors and announced that a co-advertising campaign by the GNTO would begin soon to further boost tourism.

In the second part of the Regional Tourism Council meeting, brief presentations were made by representatives of companies and organizations that, through their services and products provided to regions and municipalities, contribute to promoting tourism activities, destination presentations, and upgrading the tourism offering in various parts of Greece.

As part of this, the Bike Friendly Certification Label, managed by NATTOUR AMKE and under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism, was presented. The label certifies hotels and municipalities as bike-friendly, and travel agencies as “Greek Bike Specialists.” Additionally, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed with the Region of Thessaly to launch joint initiatives and encourage municipalities in Thessaly to become certified as “Bike Friendly.”

Mr. Theoharis, after warmly thanking the representatives, stated, “This session provides an excellent opportunity for broader information sharing among the regions regarding the services provided by these companies and organizations, which have already been utilized by some regions. Future sessions will provide opportunities for further presentations.”

“We feared tourism and relaxed ourselves” “We feared tourism and relaxed ourselves. The factories, weddings, and parties,” the Minister of Tourism said today on SKAI regarding the rise in COVID-19 cases in Greece. “We must not relax. We feared tourism, tightened tourism measures significantly, and overall see very few cases. We had 1.3 million visitors in July and 400 cases,” he noted. He continued, “If the reason for the increase in cases in Greece was tourism, we would see the largest increase in tourist areas like Crete and Corfu. In July, we had 15% to 20% of last year’s traffic; we will close with reduced prices, and revenues will obviously be lower.” The Minister predicted that “in August, there is a widespread fear of a second wave that will hold people back. It will certainly be a little more than in July.”

Source: Travel Daily News