He described it as «the diamond of Greek tourism that has not yet been exploited.» conference tourism Sissy Lygnou, president of the Hellenic Association of Professional Congress Organizers, at a special event held today at a central hotel in Athens. In her presentation, Ms. Lygnou highlighted the contribution of conference events to the country's tourism figures. In fact, for 2022, tourism revenue from conference tourism is estimated at €1.7 billion, while for 2023, there is widespread optimism for another exceptional year.
In a statement to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency, Ms. Lygnou explained that there is considerable scope for strengthening conference and business tourism, noting that it contributes significantly to the Greek economy. At the same time, she stressed that this form of tourism is underutilised because its value and contribution have not yet been recognised. “We invite a specialized audience from abroad, who in turn are ambassadors of Greek tourism abroad, and at the same time new jobs are created.”.
For 2023, the signs are very positive, as Ms. Lygnou said, and she called on the state to immediately assist in promoting the country as a conference tourism destination. It is noteworthy that Athens' largest conference venue, the Athens International Conference Center – Megaron Athens Concert Hall, set a record for conferences in 2022, while for 2023 it is estimated that it will continue to grow.
The association's main request remains the construction of a modern conference center in Athens with a capacity of over 5,000 seats, as well as the creation of a conference registry. The conference center will significantly extend the tourist season in Athens, while the registry will provide data that will greatly strengthen the association's ability to move forward with targeted action plans, as was emphasized. Finally, the elimination of VAT for the organization of conferences is considered particularly important for the association, since competitive countries such as Portugal and Spain have already abolished it.
K. Chalkiadakis
