Kikilias: “Greece’s New GNTO Melbourne office will Boost Ties with Diaspora”

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The relevant bill for the establishment of a Hellenic Tourism Organization EOT office in Melbourne, is about to be tabled in parliament, according to what Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias said on Thursday, during an interview with the OPEN TV station.

Kikilias’ words, reiterated the will of the Greek government to proceed to this significant move and marked the impact that the office would have to connection with the Greek presence in Australia.

“It is a strategic move that will significantly contribute to attracting travelers from Australia. It is vital that we add more markets, more dynamic to the country, so that we have travelers and tourists 12 months a year,” Kikilias said, highlighting the effort’s target.

“It is crucial, because as you understand it is on the other side of the planet, it is another continent. It has a significant Greek element – 300,000 Greek-Australians live in Melbourne – and it is a market that has finally opened up after two years of restrictive measures due to the pandemic,” he said.

The Minister of Tourism appeared to be positive about the new touristic season in Greece and he referred to the picture of pre-bookings which shows the strong tourist stream that Greece will have in 2023. For example, he mentioned that 56 direct flights per week have already been announced from the USA and Canada to “El . Venizelos”, with more to be added by spring.

“The regional airports have set a record with 31 million passengers, which shows that our strategy for better tourism throughout Greece has succeeded,” Kikilias said, adding that for Athens, tourism was this year the main source of funding, boosting citizens’ pockets, restaurants, cafes, museums and commerce.

Source: ot.gr

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