“Attica is safe and may well be an all-year round tourist destination”. This was the message emitted by the Regional Governor of Attica, Mr George Patoulis at the official dinner he hosted in honour of 18 Ambassadors and Chargés d’Affaires last night.
Mr George Patoulis took the floor to present the strategic planning of the Region of Attica with regard to safe tourism and its development prospects, pointing out that epidemiological surveillance has been placed at the heart of the Region’s initiative to promote tourism, while making a detailed reference to the actions taken by the Region in order to ensure the health of both residents and visitors of Attica.
“Despite the problems caused by the pandemic, we work systematically in the Region of Attica to ensure the health of both citizens and visitors, through proper readiness, and reliability, while we make sure that the monitoring and tracking of the pandemic and its variants are aligned with the international requirements in the field of tourism market,” Mr George Patoulis noted.
“The Region of Attica is ready, in all cases, to welcome its visitors this year”, Mr George Patoulis stressed, and he invited every interested party to explore the “cosmopolitan charm of Attica” and the plethora of options it offers. “Athens represents a modern, all-year-round destination with authentic tourism experiences and choices”, Mr George Patoulis told the members of the Embassies who attended the event.
The Region of Attica ensures strict compliance with COVID-19 measures
“The Region of Attica contributes towards ensuring compliance with hygiene measures and strict health protocols in public places, in the market, in the hotels and on the beaches through specific actions and initiatives” Mr George Patoulis stressed.
In the light of health security, Mr George Patoulis said that the Region of Attica remains a trustworthy travel destination, thus contributing to safety within the global village. “This difficult experience we have been through brought to light the value of solidarity and cooperation. In this context, the relaunch of tourism is the starting point of a much-anticipated regularity. For us, it is a matter of values, rather than an economic matter”, stated Mr George Patoulis.
Providing details on the vaccination programme of the Region and its islands, Mr George Patoulis pointed out that the “diamonds” of the Saronic Sea, namely its islands, are almost in full COVID-19 vaccination coverage. The Regional Governor of Attica added that the country’s vaccination programme has received international praise, a key factor for tourist attraction in Attica and Greece as a whole.
Attica has significant potential as a centre for thematic tourism, such as health and well-being tourism
The Regional Governor of Attica made special reference to the actions taken by the Region of Attica in the field of medical tourism, trusting that Attica will become an ideal destination when it comes to health and longevity. Mr George Patoulis then referred to the emblematic projects being implemented in Attica, such as the Falirikon project, the rehabilitation of the coastal front, as well as the development projects and infrastructure that are being developed on the islands, which, according to the Regional Governor of Attica, “are radically changing the image of Attica Region”. Mr George Patoulis also referred to the cultural programme of the Attica Region, stressing that “this has already begun and will unfold by September, aspiring to bring life to our ancient monuments, and to bring theatre, music, and special anniversary events celebrating 200 years since the Greek Revolution to every part of Attica”.
The Regional Governor of Attica, Mr George Patoulis offered token gifts to the guests while tourism promotion videos were being shown during the event.
The dinner was attended by Mr Kyriakos Kenevezos, the Ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus, Professor John Bennet, Senior Diplomat and Director of the British School of Athens, representing the Embassy of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Mr Rolandas Kačinskas, the Ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania, Ms Iveta Hricová, the Ambassador of the Slovak Republic, Mr Aleksandar Sunko, the Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia, Mr Olaf Andreas Kjelsen, the Ambassador of the Swiss Confederation, Mr Michael Dorn, Head of the Economic Department of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, Ms Hermine Poppeller, the Ambassador of the Republic of Austria, Mr Matjaž Longar, the Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia, Mr Maurits ter Kuile, Counsellor and Chargé d’Affaires in the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Mr Stein Gjendem, Deputy Head of Mission in the Embassy of the Kingdom of Norway, Ms Anna Maria Fanouraki, Deputy Head of Financial Services in the Embassy of the French Republic in the Hellenic Republic, Mr João Ricardo Mendes, Chargé d’Affaires in the Embassy of the Portuguese Republic, Ms Patrizia Falcinelli the Ambassador of the Republic of Italy to the Hellenic Republic, Mr Artur Lompart the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland, Mr Joseph Cuschieri, the Ambassador of the Republic of Malta, Ms Iseult Fitzerald, the Ambassador of the Republic of Ireland to the Hellenic Republic, Mr Jung Il Lee, the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Hellenic Republic. Mr Theodoros Koutsogiannopoulos, the Regional Councillor for Tourism of the Region of Attica as well as officials from the Directorate for Tourism and the Independent Office of International Affairs also attended the event.