Greece and the United States will look to bolster their tourism cooperation following the signing of a new memorandum.
The agreement was signed on Monday, April 4, at the foot of the Acropolis by Greek Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias and U.S. Ambassador to Greece Geoffrey Pyatt, updating the previous one signed 31 years ago.
The memorandum’s objective is to increase bilateral trade in travel services.
During the signing, Pyatt spoke about Greece remaining a leading destination for American travelers.
“We saw Greece’s tourism economy rebound in unexpected ways last summer,” the ambassador said. “Americans, I am glad to say, flocked to Greece, thanks in part to the nine direct flights from Athens that American carriers added to their schedules.”
Pyatt said this year will see a total of 14 direct flights from the United States to Athens.
“Many of these will continue as late as October, ensuring that visitors have plenty of opportunity to take a well-deserved vacation and to enjoy the unique pleasures of this country,” he said. “This bodes very well for a tourism market ripe to receive eager tourists who are anticipating the end of a long and difficult pandemic.”
The California native also made reference to the many American companies operating in Greece, including cruise companies like Royal Caribbean and Disney, and hotel brands such as Best Western, Wyndham, Regency, Starwood, Conrad/Hilton and Marriott.
Pyatt tweeted that he is “very much looking forward to continuing our partnership as we welcome more and more Americans to Greece, showcasing all that this country has to offer.”
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