Greece and Austria Plan Closer Cooperation in Tourism
During a meeting between Vassilis Kikilias, Greece's Tourism Minister, and Susanne Kraus-Winkler, Austria's State Secretary for Tourism, the two countries agreed to strengthen cooperation in tourism affairs.
Greek Minister of Tourism Vassilis Kikilias and Austrian State Secretary for Tourism Susanne Kraus-Winkler. / Picture: © BMAW/Dolenc
Both Greece and Austria are considered countries that benefit enormously from international tourism. Now a new Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between the two countries to facilitate cooperation in tourism matters.
The Memorandum of Understanding was signed on the occasion of the visit of the Greek Minister of Tourism Vassilis Kikilias to Austria. State Secretary for Tourism Susanne Kraus-Winkler signed on behalf of Austria.
"Tourism is of great importance for Austria and Greece. Many of the current challenges such as the sustainable development of destinations and the bottlenecks in the labour market affect both countries. This is where we want to start and support each other," said State Secretary Kraus-Winkler.
Although the two countries appeal to different groups of tourists due to their geographical differences, they also have many things in common in terms of what they offer tourists.
While Greece shines with its beautiful beaches and extensive history, Austria can boast of its beautiful nature. Nevertheless, an increased trend towards year-round tourism, rural tourism and mountain and active holidays can be noticed in Greece in recent years and are gaining more and more importance in Greece.
In any case, the current developments in tourism in both countries show a clear recovery after the corona-related failures of the last two years. It is now necessary to ensure that tourism becomes more sustainable, innovative and resilient despite the continuing difficult framework conditions, both State Secretary Kraus-Winkler and Tourism Minister Kikilias stressed.
Kikilias highlighted that Greece is the top flight destination for Austrian tourists in 2022 and package tours have increased by 15% compared to the pre-crisis year 2019.
Η Ελλάδα είναι στην κορυφή των αεροπορικών προορισμών για τους Αυστριακούς το 2022.
— Vassilis Kikilias (@Vkikilias) September 13, 2022
Οι αφίξεις από τα οργανωμένα ταξίδια είναι αυξημένες κατά 15% vS 2019.
Συμφωνία με την ομόλογό μου Susanne Winkler με στόχο την επιμήκυνση της τουριστικής περιόδου. https://t.co/xZN1lc46kj pic.twitter.com/jxbe9S4HRc
"I am very pleased to be in Vienna today at a time when the dynamic development of the Greek economy is shaped by tourism. Greece, which already enjoys great popularity in Austria, is available to its Austrian friends all year round, offering high-quality services in a pleasant Mediterranean climate," said Greek Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias.