The Minister of Tourism Olga Kefalogiannis met with Japanese MPs delegation that visit our country, in the context of parliamentary cooperation, with the aim of discussing and evaluating the course and progress of Greek-Japanese relations.
At the heart of the debate was the further strengthening of bilateral cooperation, especially in the field of tourism, in the phase of take-off of Greek-Japanese relations, after upgrading them to the strategic level.
Ms. Kefalogiannis referred to last year’s historical visit of Princess Princess Kako to Greece, in the context of the Greek-Japanese year of Culture and Tourism 2024 and the 125th anniversary of the 125-year-old diplomatic relations between the two countries, but also her own visit to Japan, Expanding bilateral tourism relations, with the goals of increasing tourism flows, promoting business cooperation and tourism investment, the promotion of the two countries as tourist destinations on either side and transnational cooperation throughout the range of tourism.
During the minister’s debate with the Members, a review of the course and progress of bilateral tourism cooperation, with particular reference to the importance of the direct airline connection, which would contribute substantially not only to the increase in tourist flows, but also to the further tightening of business cooperation, and this was agreed.
Ms Kefalogiannis pointed out in this regard that Greece is ranked among the ten most popular tourist destinations worldwide, gathering 40 million tourists last year, four times the size of the country’s population, while at the same time being the first gateway to Europe. These data, coupled with the great potential for increasing tourist flows between the two countries and the tightening of business cooperation, due to investment opportunities, favor the establishment of a direct airline connection.
The Japanese MPs agreed with the necessity of the direct airline and pledged to raise the matter for the competent bodies upon their return to Japan.
Further, the challenges faced by tourism, and in particular the impact of climate change and tourist pressures from increased tourist currents over specific peak periods, and the best practices used by each country.
Ms. Kefalogiannis presented the priorities of our country’s strategic planning, which is the quality, sustainable and competitive development of tourism with respect to the environment and local communities, as well as the time expansion of the tourist season, to cover most of the time, combined with its geographical and geographical spread.
He also presented the measures taken both to address environmental impacts, such as the ranking of hotels with sustainability criteria, as well as to manage tourist pressures at specific times and at specific points, such as measures for cruise in the ports of popular tourist destinations, Monuments, such as the Acropolis.
The Japanese MPs have expressed particular interest in the measures taken by the Greek side to meet the challenges, noting that they are useful optimum practices that the Japanese side could apply.
In conclusion, the two sides converged that the traditional friendship between the two countries, the cultural proximity, which is also reflected in the work of major intellectuals, such as Kazantzakis and Lefkadios Hern, and the upgrading of bilateral relations at strategic levels are well -to -do. mutual understanding.