Two great cornerstones of history, fabulous food, archaeological wonders, and oodles of sunshine.
Greece and Israel are continuing their mutual tourism push that encourages travellers to visit both countries. They combined forces to put on a great event for advisors in downtown Toronto on 23FEB, complete with live music, Israeli and Greek food, and custom cocktails with ouzo that packed a punch.
Agents were also treated to a draw for trips to both Greece and Israel.
“We’re not looking at Greece as competitors,” Gal Hana, Senior Director of Tourism for Canada, Israel, told Open Jaw. “We’re looking at them as partners.
“We want people to travel,” Hana said. “I honestly think it makes us better people. So I hope they visit Greece, but also Israel. Many Canadians travel to Greece and they’re not aware Israel is just two hours away, and that there are flights every hour.
“You can visit two destinations that are cornerstones of history.”
Hana said the Greek tourism minister was recently at the International Mediterranean Tourism Market in Israel and met with the Israeli tourism minister.
“He said he really likes the Greece-Israel partnership we have in Canada, and that he’d like to see it duplicated around the world.”
Yannis Plexousakis, Deputy Director USA and Canada for the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO), said in an interview with Open Jaw that he wants to see Canadians visit not just the fabled Greek islands, but also cities such as Thessaloniki and smaller islands, as well as villages in the Peleponnese peninsula, south and west of Athens.
“We had a fantastic year for tourism last year, and we’re very happy that Air Canada will be starting its direct flights from Toronto to Athens in March this year, a month earlier than normal,” he said. “We want people to come to Greece in spring and fall.”
Sofoklis Savvas, Exhibitions and Trade Coordinator, North America, GNTO, said Greek tourism “has been on a fantastic run the past couple years. Travellers are picking destinations of high quality.”
Savvas said 42.6% of visitors to Greece are high income and 31.8 are classified as medium income.
“We have blockbuster properties on Santorini and Mykonos, but also in the Peleponnese and other areas where mostly locals go.”
The level of service has improved dramatically, he said, but prices are still excellent. Greece also has made major investments in airports and other infrastructure, including a new northern highway across the top of Crete and a major new addition to the Athens waterfront, called Ellenikon. It’s being billed as Europe’s greatest urban regeneration project, a space twice the size of New York City’s Central Park.
The Ellenikon website says it’s a 6.2 million square meter project on the site of the former Athens International Airport. The development will include the 2 million square meter Ellenikon Park, which is being called the largest coastal park in Europe. There also will be 3.5 km of improved coastline for public enjoyment and luxury housing.
Savvas added that a new, high speed rail from Thessaloniki to Athens being built, which will reduce travel time to four hours.
“Greece is wonderful for lovers of luxury travel, gastronomy and culture,” he said. “You can hike, ski, see small villages and museums and visit archaeological sites, many of them for a very reasonable price or for free.”
Hana showed a video that highlighted some of the wonders of Israel in a fun, cheeky fashion.
“Jerusalem is just like any other place that’s 3,000 years old and is a city that’s sacred to three major religions,” a voice said as the camera panned over historic sites and markets in the city.
The video also talked about Jerusalem as a city “where an imam, a rabbi and a priest are sitting in a café, but it’s no joke.”
“In Israel, we have everything, and it’s all within reach,” said Hana, who encouraged advisors to journey out of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem to see areas such as the Negev Desert and to explore Israel’s amazing culture and outdoor spaces.
“If you want to go to the beach, go to Mexico or Florida,” he said. “If you want something more significant, go to Greece and Israel.”
Hana also said Israel tourism has new software that will make their website more accessible and make it easier for advisors to sell trips to Israel.
As well, Israel tourism is putting a strong emphasis on MICE travel and encouraged agents to look at Israel if they’re booking meetings, incentive trips or conferences.
Fiona Kosmin, Director of Marketing and Partnerships, Canada for the Israel Ministry of Tourism, talked about the many great hotels that Canadian agents visited on a recent fam, as well as nature parks and cities.
Not only are the hotels fabulous places to stay the night, “they also have some of the best breakfasts.”
Hana waxed philosophical, telling a packed crowd that “tourism is the antidote to so many problems we see in the world.”
In a society that seems more polarized every day, travel allows people to get out of their bubble and escape their comfort zone, Hana said.
