The Greek Ministry of Tourism and Visa today announce a new cooperation agreement to support the sustainable tourism recovery in the country, in 2022. The agreement was signed in Athens by the Minister of Tourism, Vassilis Kikilias and the CEO of Visa for Europe, Charlotte Hogg, taking another step towards the implementation of Greece’s 10-year strategy (National Strategic Plan for Tourism Development 2030).
Under the terms of the cooperation, Visa will provide valid data on international and domestic tourism and travel trends, supporting the Greek Ministry of Tourism in its effort for the full recovery of tourism, something that is expected within the year with the end of pandemic.
In 2021, tourism in Greece experienced an impressive recovery, compared to 2020. As the country, based on this progress, is working to return to pre-pandemic incoming tourism levels, Visa was selected as a reliable partner to support healthy development of the Greek economy.
Specifically, Visa has created a specialized Mediterranean Tourism Trends Dashboard, with the aim of providing aggregated data-based information that will help Greek tourism authorities better understand tourism spending patterns, further improve public and private sector services, as well as to attract more targeted visitors from abroad seeking, more than ever, seamless and safe travel experiences.
Commenting on the importance of co-operation, Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias said: “As tourism is an important part of the country’s GDP and a leading investment sector, it is important to formulate a policy based on data. , we welcome our cooperation with VISA as it will significantly enhance our capabilities in policy making for tourism product design. ”
Charlotte Hogg, Visa Managing Director for Europe, said: “We are pleased to be working with the Greek Ministry of Tourism to assist in informed decision-making, increase visitors to Greece and the country’s tourism revenue. valid data on the spending trends of visitors from abroad throughout their trip to Greece, we hope to assist the Ministry in developing an even more targeted approach to the further development of the tourism industry, which is vital to the country’s economy. . ”
According to the Table of Trends in the Mediterranean in the Mediterranean developed by Visa, there are three main points:
The United Kingdom, the USA, France and Germany, the 4 main entrance corridors in Greece, represent a significant percentage of visitors who use cards for their expenses in the country.
Travelers who have already visited Greece in the past tend to spend, on average, twice as much per person on their next visit to the country (2). Therefore, the encouragement of repeated visits is to the benefit of the Greek tourism industry and professionals active in the industry.
Greece has a highly advanced digital payment acceptance infrastructure, but a large number of tourists do not seem to be aware of it. There is therefore an opportunity to inform tourists about the wide availability of electronic means of payment in the country. This in turn has multiple benefits: tourists benefit from the additional convenience and security offered by the cards, while the country benefits from the reduction of the informal economy.
The Table reveals other interesting facts. For example, tourism spending in the country takes place mainly in Athens, except in July and August when it exceeds the Greek islands.
It also highlights the top spending areas for tourists visiting Greece, which is the travel and leisure sector, followed by general retail trade. The health sector is also emerging, indicating that Greece can diversify its proposal for inbound tourism.
Finally, Greece is compared to a number of peer Mediterranean countries in order to facilitate the identification of the strong points of Greek tourism and how it can become even more competitive.
Under the agreement, Visa will also work with the Ministry of Tourism and EOT to attract more tourists from abroad through marketing campaigns. Utilizing the information provided by the Table and the global collaborations of Visa, important information will be provided to tourists before and during their visit, while at the same time Greece will be promoted as an international destination. Visa often implements multiple targeted advertising campaigns focusing on informing tourists about the widespread and secure acceptance of digital payments in Greece, as well as promotional activities for tourists traveling to and within Greece.
Source: Capital
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