win many international distinctions.
We improved the day-to-day operation of tourist
enterprises. Our legislative work and a series of
interventions offered solutions to chronic problems
in all tourism sectors, and simplified licensing and
operating procedures.
We are encouraging new tourist investments, in
order to attract fresh international and domestic
financing, enrich the Greek tourism product, and
increase capacity with the aim of satisfying
increased demand.
Only in 2016, our Ministry’s one-stop-shop
received 142 new project proposals concerning
existing and new four- and five-star hotels with
more than 300 beds. At the same time we are
supporting small and medium-sized entrepre-
neurship, through NSRF programmes aimed at
the upgrading and modernisation of existing
enterprises and the creation of new tourist SMEs.
We are proceeding to the modernisation of the
Tourist Enterprises Register, the codification of
Tourism Legislation, and the preparation of a new
comprehensive proposal for the upgrading of
public tourism education.
We are creating the context, and opening the
way, for the Greek private sector and tourist
industry to be able to grow, through new benefi-
cial partnerships and deals. We are doing all we
can to support the growth of tourism, which will
generate significant benefits for the national
economy and our country’s social welfare.
Trade with Greece
21
year long. In 2017, we are also expanding our
operations to India, a huge market that offers sig-
nificant prospects of attracting high-end visitors.
We are introducing new destinations in Greece
and new types of theme tourism, in close cooper-
ation with regions, local governments, chambers,
tourism organisations, and the private sector. We
are emphasising on cultural tourism, religious
tourism, maritime tourism –cruises, and yacht-
ing–, healing and medical tourism, sports tourism,
city breaks, and gastronomy.
We are utilising our country’s unique comparative
advantages in order to develop and promote
theme tourism products that attract visitors all
year long, thus creating new and steady sources
of revenue and employment, and facilitating the
diffusion of growth benefits to the local communi-
ties.
The Greek National Tourism Organisation
(GNTO), as the agency responsible for imple-
menting our advertisement and promotion policy,
has, in the past two years, exceeded all expecta-
tions. Through its increased participation in
International Tourism and specialised thematic
Expositions, its presence in international travel e-
platforms, international TV networks and social
media, 252 farm trips (the largest number of such
trips organised in Greece), as well as mixed and
cooperative advertising that brought immediate
results through the efficient and targeted use of
limited funds, the GNTO helped Greek tourism
