Τhe Athens Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Hellenic Association of Professional Conference Organisers and Destination Event Specialists, and the Thessaloniki Convention Bureau have joined forces, creating the Greek Meetings Alliance, as they work to strengthen the meetings industry in Greece.
The three major stakeholders from the Greek MICE industry’s initiative is aimed to promote Greece as a destination for high-quality conferences and events.
The new Greek Meetings Alliance will expand the long-standing informal collaboration between the organisations and a corresponding memorandum establishing the Alliance was signed during a celebration at the Megaron Athens Concert Hall on 25 October. The signing was followed by a discussion about the future of conference tourism and its economic impact, featuring two important industry leaders Ray Bloom, chairman of IMEX Group, and Senthil Gopinath, CEO of ICCA.
On 18 November the GMA was formally presented in Thessaloniki during the Philoxenia Helexpo tourism exhibition.
Presentations in both Thessaloniki and Athens were attended by a number of official key figures including Athens mayor Kostas Bakoyannis, deputy tourism minister Sofia Zacharaki, GNTO president Angela Gerekou and GNTO secretary general Dimitris Fragakis as well as deputy governor οf tourism for Central Macedonia Alexandros Thanos.
The Alliance began taking shape during the pandemic and initially focused on building a portfolio of virtual events while the MICE industry faced an unprecedented crisis. In July 2020, the alliance completed its first survey recording the impact of the pandemic on Greek MICE industry partners.
Athens is currently ranked sixth in Europe and eighth in the world according to the most recent survey by the International Congress and Convention Association. Additionally, the This is Athens Convention and Visitors Bureau was recognised as Europe’s Leading City Tourist Board at the 2022 World Tourism Awards. Thessaloniki, the second tier city in the north, ranks 35 in Europe and 47 in the world according to the same ICCA survey.
The mayor of the city of Athens, Kostas Bakoyannis, emphasised the importance of the MICE industry to the city’s strategy for the local economy. “We believe deeply in the power of partnerships to expand the profile of Athens as an international destination for conferences and events. This is a strategic priority that is closely linked to urban development. It promotes the upgrade of city infrastructure and should be regarded as a tool that can improve the quality of life of residents.”
Speaking on behalf of the Hellenic Ministry of Tourism, deputy minister Sofia Zacharakis said: “We are enthusiastically supporting this exceptional initiative. This new alliance sends a clear message: Greek tourism beat all expectations this year, but we will not rest, we will continue to move forward even more vigorously. The goal is to build high quality and balanced tourism. Conference tourism plays a pivotal role in this development, bringing significant challenges that are also great opportunities. We are determined to utilise them.”
