Greek PM: Greece among top 5 tourism brands worldwide

Greece, as a tourism brand is among the top five in the world, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in a speech to the General Assembly of the Greek Tourism Confederation (SETE), which was broadcast on video οn Wednesday.

He described tourism as “a pillar of the economy and a source of national wealth,”noting the encouraging prospects of the sector in Greece.

At the same time, he said tourism is “faced again with new challenges” and called on entrepreneurs to invest in their employees, by providing better wages and working conditions.

“Given that the shortage of staff in the sector is becoming threatening, it requires new approaches: by extending, for example, the tourist season, by special arrangements for the employment of foreign workers, but also by linking tourism with other activities after the autumn,” he said.

“But it also requires investment in the human factor. Because tourism must be attractive not only to visitors but also to those who work in it. Which means better salaries and working conditions.”

He stressed that tourism must align its model with digital operations and an ecological model, adding that it has an ally in the state, which is constantly modernizing, while urging businesspeople to use the financing tools of the EU Recovery Plan and the National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF).

“On the part of the state, we are undertaking an upgrade of infrastructure, from roads, ports and airports to water supply and recycling. We are even directing education toward sectors that the economy and the labor market are looking for,” Mitsotakis added.

He also spoke of the need to reduce the environmental footprint, tackle over tourism with new infrastructure and smart flow management, sustainable practices which will also concern local communities, and the formation of alternative destinations throughout the year.

Source: ekathimerini.com