Greek tourism official is ready to woo more Chinese tourists to her country with easy visas

Before Elena Kountoura moved to a political career, she had visited China twice, in 1989 and 1998, when she was an internationally famous fashion model active in Paris and Athens.

She recalls that while promoting fashion in China then, what struck her during her first visit was the number of bicycles, while the second time she noticed that cars were everywhere.

Now, the graceful model-turned tourism minister of Greece has been busy preparing for promotional trips to China this month and in June, which she says will involve preparatory and follow up activities for the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.

After his official visit to China last year, Tsipras is among dozens of foreign state leaders who plan to attend the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, which will be held in Beijing on May 14 and 15.

Sitting in her office a stone's throw from the historic Greek Parliament building in downtown Athens, Kountoura says her trips to China offered a profound perspective on the country's rapid changes over the decades.

"Now, I am excited about my third trip to China," Kountoura says in an exclusive interview with China Daily.

Kountoura says her mission is to attract more Chinese tourists to visit Greece, with promotional activities scheduled in Beijing this month and in Shanghai in June.

Displaying an Athens map in Chinese, she says with confidence: "I am ready to welcome China's growing middle class to visit my country with its long civilization."

She says she expects that the direct flight between Beijing and Athens should be useful to attract more Chinese tourists. It is reported that Air China will relaunch its Beijing-Athens direct flight this year; it currently has a stopover in Munich, Germany.

Her ministry will help Chinese tourists to easily obtain visas from the Greek embassy, she says.

Last year, more than 100,000 people in China applied for tourist visas from the Greek embassy, and more tourists came to Greece via other European countries, she adds.

With tourism being the only growth sector of the country's sluggish economy in the depth of its debt crisis, the Greek government has aimed to increase inbound tourism from about 28 million visits last year to 30 million this year.

Kountoura says China is a growing market for Greece, which has relied on tourism to contribute roughly one-fifth of its economic output and job creation.

Statistics indicated that visits by tourists from China reached 200,000 last year, but Greece is determined to boost the annual number to 1 million by 2021, she says.

"If we have more direct flights, it will be easier and more convenient for Chinese visitors. I would like to welcome more Chinese," she says. "I hope the number will be 500,000 next year."

She says Greece is promoting more destinations, expanding its island tourism to culture, adventure sports, nature and other areas.

As to the trends of Chinese tourists, she says that when Chinese come directly to Greece, they stay generally more than six days, but if they come through another country, their stays vary.

She also says that Chinese tourists spend more than the average amount.

"Because Chinese, American or Australian tourists are coming overseas, they have a bigger average of spending than the Europeans. That's for sure," she says.

Additionally, many young Chinese couples come to get married or to have a honeymoon in the Greek islands, which has become very popular in the past two years.

"We still want to develop this product to make sure the tourists enjoy the stay in Greece and they will have wonderful time," she says.

However, Greece is not only about islands, she adds, noting that her country hosted the first International Western Silk Road Workshop in Alexandroupoli on April 26 and 27.

"Greece is supportive of the Belt and Road Initiative, and tourism can contribute to the China-led proposal, especially by promoting cultural tourism," she says.

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(China Daily European Weekly 05/05/2017 page8)