The Deputy Minister of Tourism, Anna Karamanli, participated in the 9th World Wine Tourism Conference of the World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism), held in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, representing Greece.
In her statement, Ms. Karamanli underlined the long-standing ties between wine and Greek culture, noting that “wine tourism in Greece is not simply an alternative form of tourism, but a strategic tool for sustainable development.” As she emphasized, wine tourism contributes to the diversification of the Greek tourism product, the extension of the tourist season and the strengthening of the local economy, attracting high-income visitors seeking quality experiences.
The Deputy Minister referred extensively to the institutional interventions of the Ministry of Tourism to strengthen wine tourism, such as the Visitable Winery label, the National Wine Tourism Council, as well as the “Agritourism and Gastronomy” project, which is financed by the Recovery and Resilience Fund. This project, as she explained, “will function as a National Thematic Organization for the Promotion and Promotion of Gastronomy and Agritourism, both in Greece and internationally”.
Ms. Karamanli particularly emphasized the importance of coordination and cooperation between the public sector, local government, private businesses and the academic community for the development of wine tourism, noting that “its success is based on multi-level synergy”.
Finally, he referred to the contribution of international organizations, such as UNESCO and the World Tourism Organization, in enhancing the international visibility of wine tourism and collaborations between countries. He made particular mention of Greece’s participation in the Iter Vitis Route of the Council of Europe, which connects 23 countries and highlights wine as an integral element of European cultural heritage.
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