Within the framework of the City of Athens’ development and tourism promotion action plan aiming to highlight Athens in the international tourism market, the Athens Development & Destination Management Agency (ADDMA) reached a cooperation agreement of strategic importance with the European Tour Operators Association (ETOA). The agreement sees to the establishment of a series of annual B2B workshops under the name “Travel Trade Athens”.
The first Travel Trade Athens, will be held on the 22nd and 23rd of April 2013, at the New Acropolis Museum. This 3-day trade event comprises pre-scheduled appointments with local suppliers, thematic visits around Athens and social events for at least 80 hosted buyers including tour operators, conference and meeting organizers and distinguished journalists from Europe and the USA. Up to 200 businesses and suppliers from all sectors of the local tourism industry will participate in a round of up to 32 pre-set b2b appointments in order to present their services and products and to discuss ways of cooperation with the hosted buyers.
The hospitality programme aims at showcasing and promoting the tourism product of Metropolitan Athens and at creating the appropriate channels of cooperation between the local tourism industry and buyers targeting the Athens market, in order to acquaint hosted buyers with the city’s tourism infrastructure and major points of interest.
The structure of the event includes:
- Three-day stay in Athens during which buyers will participate in fam-trips and site visits in order to get acquainted with the full portfolio of tourism products, the competitive advantages and the Unique Selling Points of metropolitan Athens as a tourist destination.
- Organization of pre-scheduled appointments between local suppliers and the hosted buyers.
- Industry intelligence & international trends seminar for the local suppliers who will participate at Travel Trade Athens by leading representatives of international organizations.
The Mayor of Athens, Mr. Yiorgos Kaminis, stated:
“The City of Athens is implementing a comprehensive strategy for economic and tourism development, with a focus on placing Athens in the international limelight and enhancing the image of the city as an ideal tourist and convention destination. The strategic agreement between the Athens Development and Destination Management Agency with the European Tour Operators Association proves that Athens, when there is a concrete strategy and goals, can conquer new fields of international cooperation and become the centre of innovative initiatives.”
The Executive Director of ETOA, Mr. Thomas Jenkins, said:
“Athens has been attracting foreign visitors for over three thousand years now. It thus holds a unique position among European cities. This means that as our members bring visitors from all regions of the world to Europe, Athens is, actually, the ideal place for a workshop. The event will take place in the New Acropolis Museum, across from one of the most prominent attractions of the world: an international workshop in a setting of international importance.”
The President of ADDMA, Mr. George Broulias stressed:
“The agreement signed with ETOA, has a dual purpose for the tourism product of Metropolitan Athens and our efforts to strengthen the international image of our city in the global tourism community. Firstly, this is the first intervention of such scale and importance after many years and with partner one of the most dynamic institutions in the European market, who trusts the city and its formal structures, such as the ADDMA. Secondly, it makes evident that Athens, as a city break and business destination, continues to be a very interesting and attractive option with promising growth prospects.”
The New Acropolis Museum, the Athens International Airport, Aegean Airlines and the Athens Convention Bureau are supporting the program. More sponsors and supporters will be announced shortly.
