Attica

ZHANG HUI

CHINA and Greece， representing two ancientcivilizations， hold an enduring appeal fortourists due to their spectacular cultures.The Region of Attica in Greece has an enchantmentof its own due to its place in history， whenits primary city Athens was a center of learning inEurope.

It is therefore no surprise that Greece – and theRegion of Attica – would be present at a major tourismevent in China. With international tourismwarming up， the ITB China 2024， the Chinese leg ofthe international tourism trade exhibition， kickedoff in Shanghai on May 27. The three-day gatheringbrought together more than 600 exhibitors from 80-plus countries and regions， as well as over 1，000 buyers，representing a significant growth of 60 percentover 2023. The boom shows the sustained rise in global confidence in Chinas tourism market.

The Greek National Tourism Organization （GNTO）brought nine co-exhibitors from Greece. Attica Regionwas represented by its governor Nikos Hardalias.

According to a Xinhua report， Chinese touristsmade 69，000 visits to Greece in 2023. The number isexpected to rise to 100，000 in 2024. Early this year，Greek tourism officials indicated that there wouldbe tailored tourism products to attract more Chinesevisitors.

In 2022， when China and Greece celebrated the50th anniversary of their diplomatic ties， they signeda Joint Action Program 2022-2024 to strengthen cooperationon tourism， which also covers such fieldsas cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

Air China has increased its weekly direct flightsbetween Beijing and Athens from three to five anda direct flight between Shanghai and Athens waslaunched in April.

What does Greece think of the bilateral cooperationin tourism， an industry accounting for 18 percentof its GDP？ How will it promote its attractionsto Chinese tourists？ In this exclusive interview， NikosHardalias， governor of Attica Region， shares his insightswith China Today .

China Today： What do you think of the current China-EU cooperation in tourism？ How is China-Greececooperation going in this aspect？

Nikos Hardalias： China and Greece have multifacetedcooperation in the context of the China-proposedBelt and Road Initiative， strong bilateral economicexchanges， and the Ancient Civilizations Forum （aforum of 10 countries that were home to some ofthe ancient civilizations of the world， ranging fromMexico and Peru to Iraq and Iran）. Cooperation intourism， which has huge prospects， is based on thissolid ground.

Our country is one of the most popular touristdestinations for the Chinese people， with hundredsof thousands Chinese tourists visiting Greece everyyear， while there is also an increasing number ofGreek people who travel to your great and attractivecountry and return with the best impressions. Thefact that we count 11 twinnings with regions of Chinacertifies not only the mutual understanding and mutualrespect， but also the inexhaustible possibilities of further strengthening our relations as well.

Greece， as a member of the EU， works systematicallyto promote cooperation in tourism at aEuropean level. We are Europe's eastern gateway tothe Mediterranean and we need to fully utilize thisadvantage for mutual benefits.

China Today： Attica is Greeces biggest region， famousfor its rich cultural heritage and enchantingscenic beauty. Whats your suggestions for Chinesetourists traveling there？

Nikos Hardalias： Attica is a destination that combinesrare natural beauty， cultural heritage with auniversal recognition， and high-level hospitalityand transportation services， offering the visitor aunique experience that is not easily found in othermetropolitan cities. The Chinese， inheritors andcustodians of an impressive ancient culture， areable to highly appreciate these qualities， especiallythe cultural heritage not only of Athens， but of thewhole region of Attica.

Here， they will find people who have great respectfor the Chinese culture and will be happy tomake their stay special. Now， they can use the directflight that connects， three times a week， Shanghaiwith Athens， which is in addition to the correspondingair connection with Beijing. They will alsohave the opportunity to get to know Athens usingthe brand new Yutong electric buses （manufacturedby the Chinese company Zhengzhou Yutong），which will soon be put into operation in the urbantransport network of Athens. We will pleasantly sur-prise you; this is my message to our friends in Chinawho wish to travel to Athens and Attica.

China Today： What are you going to promote at ITBChina？

Nikos Hardalias： Attica participates in ITB China， oneof the leading travel and tourism exhibitions worldwide，as part of the national participation throughGNTO. We want to introduce， in the best way， ourcountry to the big market of China. Our intention isto promote and deepen contacts with local tourismprofessionals in order to showcase first-hand how attractiveAttica is for Chinese visitors. Our delegationhas already arranged dozens of business meetingsduring the exhibition， which will definitely multiplygiven our presence there. It is a great pleasure for meto have the opportunity to meet Gong Zheng， themayor of Shanghai， as well as representatives of veryimportant tourism organizations and businesses.

China Today： What do you think of the potential andprospect for China-Greece cooperation as well as forthe cooperation between Attica Region and its Chinesecounterparts？

Nikos Hardalias： The cooperation between Greeceand China rests on a very strong foundation and isconstantly expanding. China COSCO Shipping Corporationupgraded the Port of Piraeus and turned itinto a hub between East and West in the Mediterranean.Greek shipping increasingly trusts Chineseshipyards. As Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakispointed out when he was received by President XiJinping in Beijing a few months ago， there is hugescope for cooperation in shipping， new technologies，clean energy and， of course， tourism.

The planning of Attica， which aims to upgradeits tourism branding， is aligned with these strategicdirections drawn up by our governments. We alreadywork closely， as part of a joint working group， withthe Chinese Embassy in Athens. The ITB exhibition isa first-class opportunity to meet the regional authoritiesof China and further our cooperation. Tourism，which brings people closer together， is promoted inthe best way through exchanges and contacts at aregional level.