Vassilis Kikilias from Belgrade: ‘40% increase in tourist flows from Serbia this summer’

The intense interest of Serbian travelers for our country as a main tourist destination, this summer, was confirmed in the meetings of the Minister of Tourism, Vassilis Kikilias, on the first day of his two-day visit to Belgrade.

Mr. Kikilias met, successively, with the Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications of Serbia, Ms. Tatjana Matic, major touroperators of the country and representatives of EOT.

As it was pointed out in the contacts of the Minister of Tourism, by the end of this season, more than 900,000 Serbian visitors are expected in Greece, a number increased by about 40% compared to the corresponding tourist flows from Serbia last year.

The interest of Serbian travelers for road and religious tourism is special, especially in northern Greece, a fact which – as Mr. Kikilias underlined – proves in practice that the strategy of the Ministry of Tourism and the Greek Government to strengthen thematic forms of tourism pays off. , already, the first fruits.

“Indicative of the high demand recorded this year for Greece is the large increase in places, but also in the destinations chosen by Serbian tourists. This fact confirms our decision to take strategic initiatives regarding the extension of the tourist season, but also targeted “door to door” visits that we make, all this time, in tourist markets abroad, with the aim of – as much as possible – filling the gap left by Russian and Ukrainian travelers, after the new data of the Russian invasion in “Ukraine and the fluid scene that has been formed at the geopolitical level, with a war in the heart of Europe in the 21st century,” said the Minister of Tourism.

In his statements, Mr. Kikilias also praised the strong ties and common values ​​that have connected the two countries over time, while his reference was made to the close friendship between the two peoples, which – as he noted – is based on extremely solid fundamentals.

As announced, in the context of further strengthening of bilateral relations between Greece and Serbia and in the field of tourism, the Ministry of Tourism and EOT of Serbia will soon open an office in Athens, while in June a special conference will be held in Halkidiki, with the participation of major travel agents from both countries.

The following is the statement of the Minister of Tourism, Vassilis Kikilias, in Serbian media:

“Our country’s relationship with the people of Serbia is unique and established for many decades. Our strategy to strengthen the tourism product from Serbia to Greece has already yielded results. And this is because – as the Serbs informed me tour operators- 900,000 Serbs are expected to travel to our country, this year, for their summer vacation.

We support road tourism. We are strengthening northern Greece. We are strengthening Halkidiki, eastern, central and western Macedonia. We support Epirus and all our destinations, either by air or from our land borders.

I am convinced that this relationship will develop even more in the future. “And I am particularly pleased with the decision of the Ministry of Tourism and the Serbian EOT to open an office, now, in Athens as well.”