ATHENS – Tourism Minister Haris Theoharis, during his speech on Wednesday at the 30th Annual Greek Economic Summit “Turning the Odds”, stressed the need for cooperation on all levels between the public and the private sectors in order to promote the sustainable development of the domestic tourism product.

The government’s aim is for the Greek tourism product to adopt a growth model based on quality and added value rather than quantity, he said.

“Our concern,” the minister said, “is to strengthen and highlight the identity of tourist destinations. And this will be done through culture, history, gastronomy.”

Concerning U.S. visitors, he said: “The U.S. market and the attraction of more American tourists to Greece is our main goal. In this context, we are creating a targeted action plan for the U.S. market.”

In particular, he stressed the need for an increase in flights from the U.S. to Greece. “This is one of the key goals we have set for the development of tourism in the United States,” he said.

Theoharis also referred specifically to Greece’s world-class tourist destinations, such as Santorini, “whose management”, he said, “is a key priority of the government’s tourism policy”.