Monocle’s editorial director Tyler Brûlé joins Vassilis Kikilias, the Tourism Minister of Greece, leading the charge to extend his country’s tourist season. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
For many nations across Europe, tourism is an essential part of their economies.
After two tough years of lockdowns and travel restrictions, the continent is now enjoying a long awaited tourist boom.
My guest today is a man who's leading the charge to extend his country's tourist season and lure visitors looking to escape the cold over the winter months.
Vasilis Kakilius currently serves as Greece's Minister of Tourism Tourism and has high hopes for the year ahead.
He spoke to me from Athens to offer his prognosis on how we move forward and what he's doing to boost the brands of some of the country's lesser known islands.
I'm Tyler Brule in Zurich and this is the Chiefs on Monocle 24.
Because of the way we dealt with the crisis, and I will explain what I mean, and we rebranded the country as a safe destination.
I think that numbers are great in terms of tourist travelers and of course huge in terms of revenues.
And this is a surplus with which we can help the rest of the Greek economy.
So the numbers were great.
Many destinations in Greece had record numbers even above 2019, which was our record year.
We were able to put the spotlight also on alternative destinations.
You got 128 inhabited islands, one more beautiful than the other, but also the mainland.
And of course you see a lot of people during September and October.
And enlightening the season was a key factor of our strategy early in 2022.
And despite the huge problems, war in the heart of Europe, inflation, energy crisis, the Greek Turkish relationships, etcetera, we were able to do it and we were very happy for that.
I'm speaking to you from not too far from the foothills of the Alps.
And we're seeing a similar almost reeducation process going on with the hospitality industry in Alpine regions where they're looking to extend the season because you had a rediscovery during the pandemic, people who may not have gone to the mountains in the summer suddenly want to go up to the mountains for cooler air and certainly even possibilities to extend the winter season as well.
Now, it's interesting, as you said, of course, there was this notion of also getting people and even the industry out of the mindset to say, o, okay, by the time it's the first week of September, we should be stacking up the lounge chairs and the season is over now, as you said, and you're making me very jealous.
You said it's 24 degrees.