(SETE) President Yiannis Retsos told those attending the first-ever virtual Delphi Economic Forum this week, “the time is ripe for Greece to upgrade its tourism product.” The executive went on to suggest stakeholders start to invest in learning from the weaknesses as these emerged in the aftermath of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
Taking part alongside Retsos in the online meeting was Eurobank Deputy CEO Konstantinos Vassiliou, who has been a key figure in the bank’s efforts to assist Greece entrepreneurs in the wake of the pandemic crisis. Mr. Retsos also reiterated the importance of tourism, an industry that sources dozens of other sub-sectors and as such is a key driver of the economy.
The SETE chief also made mention of the positive feedback from Greece’s recently launched tourism campaign; “Greek Summer is a State of Mind”, which he characterized as a rebrand rather than a simple PR campaign. Retsos cautioned against quick fixes for the sector, saying businesses need time and liquidity before forging forward into new territory.
Eurobank launched a new package of funds worth 750 million euros in May to boost the restart efforts of the Greek hotel industry amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Mr. Vassiliou underlined the importance of “planning and commitment by both sides, bank and entrepreneur” to overcome the crisis.
Source: GTP
[…] Assembly of the Greek Tourism Federation last week, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and SETE President Yiannis Retsos discussed the establishment of a 10-year strategic tourism development plan. […]