The “Reimagine Tourism in Greece” initiative for the promotion of a sustainable and resilient model of tourism development in the country, is back with its third annual conference, set to take place on November 18-19 at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) Lighthouse.
Discussions will revolve around critical issues such as spatial planning, sustainable practices, infrastructure development, as well as the preservation of natural and cultural heritage. All topics will be examined within the framework of a long-term, cohesive policy that highlights the need for a unified, strategic approach that will define the future of Greek tourism.
At the conference, the newly elected Secretary General of UN Tourism Shaikha Nasser Al Nowais will deliver a speech, while Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will engage in a conversation with award-winning author Victoria Hislop on Greece’s cultural reservoir as a source of national wealth. Also among the international guests, Gloria Guevara, former president and CEO of the World Travel and Tourism Council, will deliver a keynote address on “Greece as a Top-Choice Global Tourist Destination.”
Speakers will also include Minister of Tourism Olga Kefalogianni, SETE President Ioannis Paraschis, CEO of East India Hotels James Riley, Executive Chairman Cruise Division, MSC Group Pierfrancesco Vago, and Deputy Mayor for Tourism at the Municipality of Venice Simone Venturini. Matteo Sarzana, head of Airbnb for Italy and Southeast Europe, will share his insights in a discussion on the pressing issue of short-term rentals, while Stathis Kalyvas, professor at the University of Oxford, will participate in the thematic session “The Greek Summer Experience: Nostalgia and Reality.” Special emphasis will also be placed on the topic of yachting.
The aim of the conference is to explore a tourism ecosystem that enriches the visitor experience whilst offering long-term benefits to local communities. The vision of the “Reimagine Tourism in Greece” initiative as a whole is focused on shaping a sustainable and resilient paradigm for tourism that is based on the revitalization of cities, the empowerment of local economies, and the promotion of Greece’s incomparable natural and cultural heritage.
Learn more about the initiative: www.reimaginetourism.gr