Hellenic Sun Editions Newsletter
Within the context of our cooperation, we would like to inform you that once again this year we participated in the World Travel Market (WTM 2009) with a booth inside the exhibition stand of the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO). We made important contacts and distributed our tourist publications, the Congress Edition published in cooperation with the Hellenic Association of Professional Congress Organizers (HAPCO), our unique Alternative Tourism edition and the relative CD-ROMs accompanying our publications.
We talked to foreign trade visitors (tour operators, travel agents, wholesalers) who responded to tens of invitations that we e-mailed through the WTM site one month prior to the event asking them to visit our booth and give us the opportunity to bring them into contact with the leading Greek tourist enterprises.
Our main message being “we invite you to get acquainted with Greece, the ideal destination for all forms of tourism year-round”, we informed our visitors about the infrastructure and the potential of our country to attract new forms of tourism and we offered them our publications with the accompanying CD-ROMs. We also encouraged them to visit our very own Web sites at:
http://www.helsun.gr,
http://www.luxuryhotelsgreece.gr,
http://www.idealdestination.gr,
http://www.conferencesgreece.gr
http://www.alternativegreece.gr,
http://www.athenscitygreece.gr,
http://www.conferencesgreece.travel,
Which enjoy top ranking in the leading search engines (GOOGLE, YAHOO, MSN, CNN, BING, ALTAVISTA) and high visitability - which you can verify yourselves (unique advantage).
At the WTM 2009 event, it was evident that the international financial crisis was taking its toll on the global tourist industry.
In spite of grim data and predictions that 2010 is going to be a difficult year and that we will be unable to compete against cheap destinations on the US dollar - such as Turkey and Egypt - there is relative optimism for a slight increase in 2010 ranging from 3% to 4% in comparison to 2009, coming mainly from the British market with strong emphasis on the “all inclusive holidays”.
Given the fact that in recent years British tourists have shown a preference for higher category accommodation turning to high-quality “all inclusive” packages (which explains the forecasted increases in 2010 for that category), but also their interest in new forms of tourism, it becomes imperative that we redefine our tourist product through great efforts by everyone concerned, well organized packages, emphasis on new forms of tourism, including cultural, yachting, cruises, luxury tourism (the LUXURY expo that recently took place in London went over very well), incentives, congresses and outdoor activities. We have very good chances to silence the “grim Cassandras” and lessen the negative impact with the dynamic opening of new markets (an item that attracted great interest at the WTM 2009), direction towards wholesalers and independent travel agents, quality tourist products.
For the past ten years, HELLENIC SUN EDITIONS, which I am honored to represent, has been consistently aiming at the development of new forms of tourism. Our goal is to project Greece’s infrastructure and potential to attract new forms of tourism, including - but not limited to - incentives, cultural tourism, travel in nature, adventure travel, luxury tourism, congress and sea tourism.
I would like to take this opportunity and forward an updated list distributed by the GNTO of tour operators and travel agents operating in Great Britain and Ireland, who send visitors to Greece, as well as a list of all the Trade Visitors (tour operators, travel agents, wholesalers and incentive houses) - coming mostly from new markets - who during our personal contact expressed great interest in Greece – most of them already send visitors to Greece.
I would like to thank you for supporting our effort and reassure you that we have your best interest in mind. We are convinced that with good work, patience and quality services thing will be better in 2010.
Yours sincerely,
Kostas Kontsantaras
PRESS RELEASE RODOS PALACE 2009