The promotion of tourism cooperation dominated the bilateral meetings between Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni and her counterparts on the sidelines of the international tourism exhibition World Travel Market (WTM), held in London.
Kefalogianni also informed her counterparts about the candidacy of the former Tourism Minister, Haris Theoharis, for the position of Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization and asked for their support.
In addition, a number of other issues were also raised.
The discussion with her Egyptian counterpart, Sherif Fathy, focused on further strengthening and deepening bilateral tourism cooperation, as well as examining the possibilities of updating and specializing the existing tripartite institutional framework of tourism cooperation between Greece, Egypt and Cyprus.
Kefalogianni also met with her counterpart from Bulgaria, Evtim Miloshev, to discuss the coordination of the two countries within the framework of the EU to promote the common European policy on tourism, its institutional upgrading and the creation of a relevant financing line, which is a Greek initiative.
Talks with her Italian counterpart, Daniela Santanche, focused on the updating of the institutional framework between the two countries, and the replacement of the existing agreement dating back to 1984 with a newer one, adapted to modern conditions. In particular, they discussed strengthening cooperation especially in the field of cultural tourism, with the promotion of common tourist packages to third countries, which are important tourist markets. Greek-Italian cooperation within the EU was also discussed, in order to promote and boost the European tourism policy.
Kefalogianni also met with Cyprus Deputy Minister of Tourism, Costas Koumis, and exchanged views on the tourism interconnection between Crete and Cyprus. They also discussed cooperation to promote the goals of the Coastal and Marine Tourism Observatory in the Eastern Mediterranean, which is a Greek regional initiative under the auspices of the World Tourism Organization. Also, the enhancement of the tripartite tourism cooperation between Greece, Cyprus and Egypt was examined, as well as the promotion of the common European policy within the EU.
Olga Kefalogianni had a short meeting, at the Greek pavilion, with the Minister of Tourism of St. Marino, Federico Pedini Amati, who expressed his country’s interest in strengthening bilateral tourism cooperation with Greece in areas of common interest.
Finally, the Minister of Tourism visited the Saudi Arabian, where she was welcomed by her Saudi counterpart, Ahmed Al-Khateeb, and the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Princess Haifa Al Saud, with whom she had the opportunity to exchange views on bilateral tourism cooperation and to inform them about the Greek candidacy for the position of secretary general of the World Tourism Organization, asking for the support of their country.
The Saudi Minister of Tourism was later guided to Greece’s pavilion, which is also the honored country of the WTM.
