ATHENS – The ministers of Migration & Asylum and of Tourism signed a memorandum of cooperation on Holy Wednesday with the municipalities of Mytilini, East Samos, Leros, Kos, and Chios to fund their tourism promotion.

A statement by the ministry of Migration said the memorandum includes actions to restore issues resulting from the migration crisis and the pandemic, a plan that will also be supported by the National Hellenic Tourism Organization.

The 2 million euros of the budgeted campaign will come from the ministry’s program of public investments and the EU’s Asylum, Migration & Integration Fund, Internal Security Fund, and External Borders Fund, along with any related program funded by domestic or European funds.

Signing the memorandum were Ministers Notis Mitarachi (Migration) and Vassilis Kikilias (Tourism), with secretaries general from other ministries, while representatives of the five municipalties participated via teleconference.

Mitarachi referred to last year’s very successful promotion campaign for five Aegean islands and listed the ways the government helped them, including through making lower VAT rates on those islands permanent, reducing congestion at migrant centers, and completing infrastructural works. Kikilias noted that the promotions would focus on highlighting beaches, wine tourism, and gastronomy tourism.