That is what Ms. Angela Gerekou, President of the GNTO, said during the International Digital Event "Exports turn Crisis into Opportunity", conducted under the auspices of the Panhellenic Exporters Association.
As Ms. Gerekou said, the stratefy of the GNTO moves in three main pillars:
- Health & Hygiene: Health, safety and trust are paramount in this new era. Personal experiences, the fear of being stuck in another country, and concerns for distancing will guide consumer behaviour in the short- to mid-term.
- Innovation & Digitisation: COVID-19 is proving to be an unexpected catalyst in the Travel & Tourism sector and work as an accelerator of innovation and integration of new technologies. Stay-at-home orders, digital adoption and consumption are on the rise, with consumers now expecting contactless technologies, among others,for a safe and seamless travel experience.
- Sustainability: Sustainability is an attitude a driving force for a quality tourism industry. An economic attitude that allows us to keep growing; a level of well being and equality of opportunities between generations.
Research-based consumers are more interested in sustainability and
want to take on the role of "responsible citizens" by demanding
responsible travel policies.
Most respondents said they were looking forward to visiting friends or relatives again (61%) and leaving home more often (53%).
According to Ms. Gerekou, now is the time to invest in Sustainability and in the empowerment of the promotion of our natural environment, the products of mother earth, and the activities combined with nature, sea and land, the overall experience that a visitor can have in our country.
Mediterranean diet
"As the modern identity of Greek tourism is being formed and will evolve in the next decade, it is extremely important to properly promote our food and gastronomic tradition and culture, together with the greek products", said the President of the GNTO. "In GNTO we process with the collaboration of Ministry of tourism to a strategy plan that can make our country an international destination of nutritional and gastronomic tourism in combination with quality Greek products and create a form of thematic tourism as a part of the new Greek travel experience campaign."
