Greece aims to promote convention tourism

   Greece's tourism development ministry is currently drafting eight marketing plans aimed to better promote the country in the international market, Tourism Minister Fani Palli-Petralia said on Friday.

    Addressing the 2nd national conference of HAPCO on the subject of "Convention Tourism today: challenges and prospects", Palli-Petralia said the ministry has already issued a special CD on convention tourism and added that one of the strategic plans of a new marketing envisaged specific actions to promote convention tourism.

    "There is no alternative tourism for the ministry," she said, adding that there was a single portfolio of tourist products and services aimed to satisfy modern tourism experience.

    The impeccable hosting of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games and the upgrading of infrastructure created a series of advantages capable of attracting convention tourism in Greece, Petralia said, adding that if Greece wanted to compete with Cannes, Barcelona, Milan and other well-established convention draws in Europe it must offer something more, and something different to make the country's offer more competitive.

    The Greek minister said it was necessary to promote closer cooperation between the public and private sectors and reiterated the creation of a large conference center in Athens and the formation of a National Convention Bureau, based on international standards.

    Convention tourism is rapidly growing internationally with more than 35,000 convention events held in the last 10 years, with a turnover more than 3.5 billion euros. Europe hosts more than 60 percent of global conventions.