GREECE: Creation Of Videos For Targeted Promotion Of Tourism

Alternate Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura in an interview with Praktorio 104.9 FM on Friday spoke of the coordinated efforts made to improve the climate on the islands that received the largest number of refugees and expressed her satisfaction over the latest data.

Kountoura underlined that the refugee issue is a European one and stressed that Greece has done its best on its part. "We hosted refugees temporarily in places fully controlled and away from tourist areas" and "we are proud because we sent messages of humanity and solidarity while at the same time we stood up to the challenge," she said.

The minister also noted that there was concern over the islands that received the largest number of refugees "because the refugee flows on these islands did not leave much room for supporting them," but she added that when the flows were reduced "we managed to change the climate so that the islands have the fewer possible losses."

Kountoura also referred to the programme of Samos, Lesvos, Chios, Kos and Leros, the islands most affected by the refugee crisis last year, to slash prices for rooms and tourist packages by up to 50 percent for Greek tourists who will visit from August 20 until the end of October, in a bid to reverse a large drop in tourism arrivals on these islands.

She also talked about the cooperation with the Athens-Macedonian News Agency and the creation of videos for the targeted promotion of tourism product abroad.