Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni concluded a two-day visit to Berlin yesterday, following an invitation by Deputy Finance Minister for Tourism issues Ernst Burgbacher.
During her visit, Kefalogianni held a series of meetings with government officials, agencies and business people, aiming to promote the Greek tourism product and restore Greece's image abroad. Kefalogianni stated that the target of the Greek Ministry of Tourism is to place Greece among the top five tourist destinations for Germans.
In her contacts with the German Ministry of Economy, on October 22, Kefalogianni raised the issue of the "drachma clause" imposed by German tour operators to Greek hoteliers, affirming that this clearly deviates from standard foreign exchange procedures. Discussions also focused on the transfer of know-how concerning staff training in the tourism sector, as well as the possibility for Greeks to be employed in the German tourism industry during winter, a proposal made by the German side.
That was also one of the main issues discussed during Kefalogianni’s meeting with Hans-Joachim Fuchtel, the German Deputy Labour Minister and Special Envoy for Greek-German cooperation. They also discussed ways to prolong the tourist period in Greece and promote the country as a health tourism destination.
The minister also visited Berlin’s Martin-Gropius-Baum Museum where the exhibition Olympia: Myth, Cult, Games is hosted. Greek News Agenda: The Myth of Olympia in Berlin
