- Gassi Group and Authentic Asia announce a shiny new tourism partnership.
- The deal was presented at Philoxenia 2025 with big smiles and even bigger promises.
- Both sides claim “endless prospects,” because of course they do.
- Greece wants Vietnamese travelers; Vietnam wants Greeks; everyone wants everyone.
- Values include hospitality, quality, sustainability, and mutual admiration.
At this year’s Philoxenia Exhibition in Thessaloniki, Gassi Group and Authentic Asia unveiled their new collaboration—a partnership designed to boost tourism between Greece and Vietnam.
Two countries, 8,500 kilometers apart, that now suddenly look at each other like long-lost cousins who just remembered they share a last name.
The announcement came with interviews with TravelDailyNews, in which Haris Strantzalos, Gassi Group’s Asia Operations Director, and Julie Ngo, Business Development Director of Authentic Asia, described a vision so ambitious that you could almost hear the PowerPoint slides sigh with pride.
Vietnam Loves Greece, Greece Loves Vietnam, and Everyone Loves Saying the Word “Synergy”
Ngo told the press that despite the obvious differences — geography, culture, cuisine, the weather, the alphabet — Greece and Vietnam share common values in tourism.
These values include:
- Excellent hospitality
- High service standards
- Genuine care for travelers
In other words, the things every tourism partnership claims five minutes before they start negotiating who pays for what.
Ngo also confessed that her first visit to Greece impressed her deeply, especially the warmth of local partners. (This part is true; Greeks can charm anyone, including tax inspectors and airline staff.) She also added that Greece offers far more than Santorini — a statement Greeks adore hearing because they have been screaming it into the void for twenty years.
The Greek Side Responds With Even Greater Enthusiasm and a List of Shared Traits
Strantzalos highlighted the “endless prospects” between the two countries, pointing out their shared:
- Long coastlines
- Rich history
- Vibrant modern culture
- Excellent gastronomy
He also mentioned that both countries share a commitment to sustainability — helped by the fact that Vietnam already operates two “green resorts,” a phrase that almost guarantees someone somewhere planted a tree.
Strantzalos stressed that Vietnamese visitors should not only see Greek monuments, mountains, and islands, but also understand Greek values and social culture. Which is a poetic way of saying:
“You have not truly visited Greece until someone’s yiayia tries to overfeed you.”
What Greeks Should Know Before Flying to a Country Longer Than the Entire Balkan Peninsula
Ngo kindly explained to potential Greek travelers that Vietnam is long — 3,000 kilometres long — meaning you need more than ten days to see it properly. (Which of course Greek travelers will ignore because they will try to see it all in six days and still complain they did not have time for the Mekong Delta.) She recommended:
- Hanoi and its UNESCO monuments
- Ha Long Bay
- Hoi An
- Ho Chi Minh City
She also described Vietnam as that perfect blend of nature, culture, gastronomy, and intense urban life — essentially everything except boredom.
An Emerging Market Meets a Beloved Destination
Vietnam sees Greece as part of its growing European interest. Greece sees Vietnam as a promising new market. Both sides see opportunities, business, cultural exchange, and ideally, full airplanes going in both directions.
With aligned values, matching enthusiasm, and a strategic plan that shines brighter than an airport billboard, Gassi Group and Authentic Asia believe this partnership will bring benefits to both nations. If there is one thing tourism teaches us every year, it is that hope, optimism, and ambitious collaboration survive absolutely everything — including weather, distance, bureaucracy, and reality.
