The Greek Ministry of Tourism is overseeing the launch of a series of workshops this year, aimed at travel agents and media professionals from the country’s leading tourist markets around the world.

The Greek Tourism & Gastronomy Workshops, part of the Ministry’s “Tourism Media & Events” initiative, will highlight the rapidly expanding domain of alternative and food tourism in Greece, which is especially popular among visitors from Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland.

The online event, “Greek-Nordic Alternative Tourism & Gastronomy Workshop,” will take place on March 21-23, bringing together 80 to 100 travel and media specialists from the four Nordic countries with representatives from the Greek tourism and gastronomy sectors. The ultimate goal of the event is to highlight the burgeoning forms of alternative tourism available in Greece, inlcuding hiking and mountaineering, rural and ecotourism, wine tasting, and exploring the country’s rich archaeological heritage.

Greek tourism officials noted a significant increase in the number of arrivals from Scandinavia in 2021 compared to the previous year, with Danes leading the way. Known for their love of adventure travel, seeking out new experiences and warmer climes, Scandinavians have 5-6 weeks of vacation per year, with many opting for seaside destinations across the Mediterranean over the summer.

It was also noted that a large number of visitors from the Nordic countries prefer to stay in higher-end hotels and luxury resorts, preferably 3, 4 or 5-star establishments.

Organized under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Rural Development and Food, and the Intercultural Group for UNESCO, the 3-day Nordic workshop in March is a continuation of the hugely successful online events in 2020-2021, which took place in the markets of Belgium, Poland, the United Kingdom, France and Germany.

The next events for the promotion of alternative tourism and gastronomy in Greece will take place in London on March 31, and Paris in April. Further workshops, more focussed on luxury travel, are expected to take place in Russia (April 7), Dubai (May 11), Qatar (May 18), Amsterdam in October and the US in November. Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, these events will be fully online or a hybrid of online and physical presence.

At the beginning of the online event with the Nordic market in March, presentations will be given on the various regions of Greece, highlighting the destinations and activities on offer and the culinary traditions of each area. Over the course of the 3-day event, participants will have the opportunity to arrange virtual meetings and establish collaborations.

With information in Greek from moneyreview.gr.