ATHENS – Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias on Monday highlighted the importance of the tourist product in terms of development, investments and the opportunity for high profits while addressing the 1st International Business and Hospitality Conference organised by Liquid Media and Insider on Monday.

“The tourist product is a dependable investment and will be such in the decades to come. Especially for 2022, tourism – based on all indications – is the main source of income for the state,” Kikilias said, while adding: “As I have said before, what interests us in the tourism ministry and in the government as a whole is for the dividend from the success of our tourist product to pass, unmediated, to the average Greek family.”

The minister said there were already measurable results from policies adopted by the government to extend the tourism season, to promote new destinations and boost the flow of tourists from strong markets with high-spending travellers.

“Based on the strategy we adopted in the winter we already have 500,000 travellers directly from America in the capital: from Atlanta, Chicago, New York, Washington and now also from Boston. It was with great joy that I saw the events held by Delta in Boston at the weekend with our consulate and travellers who welcome the fact that direct Boston-Athens flights have resumed after three decades,” he said.

This gave added value to Greece’s tourist product that then translated into growth, investments that come here to stay and greater revenues from the transport of goods throughout the year,” the minister added.

Kikilias particularly emphasised investments to upgrade tourism accommodation and to implement major infrastructure projects throughout the country, which were directly linked with the development of the tourist sector.

“Banks rightly show great interest in the tourism sector. Business people, whether from home or abroad, rightly view it as a developmental sector that is rich in opportunities – short-term, medium-term and long-term – and with very high profits,” he noted.

The minister also underlined the importance of the successfuly rebranding achieved by Greece as one of the safest destinations worldwide, during the years of the pandemic.