The former president and member of the Board of Directors of the Ioannina Prefecture Hoteliers Association, Mr. Stathis Sioutis, met with the Ambassador of India to Greece, Mr. Rudrendra Tandon, for a comprehensive discussion on tourism in the region. Mr. Sioutis extensively informed Mr. Tandon about the destination and its special characteristics, with Mr. Tandon showing great interest.
Initially, Mr. Sioutis presented the destination “Ioannina Prefecture” in detail, emphasizing that it is extremely popular for domestic tourism but also for tourists from Albania, Germany, Israel, and elsewhere. He also referred to the types of thematic tourism that are developing in the region and delivered relevant digital material. An important advantage of Ioannina is its proximity to both mountainous destinations and the coast of Epirus.
A large part of the discussion was occupied by accessibility, as an advantage of the region compared to others. The international airport of Ioannina has been serving international flights for years. Reference was also made to seaplanes, which – for a start – will make the transition to Corfu and other islands of Ioannina faster than ever, and in the coming years, connections with abroad are expected. The concession of the 22 state airports and the changes that are expected to occur were also discussed. Moreover, the Indian company GMR Airports International, in collaboration with TERNA, is constructing and will manage the new airport in Kastelli, Crete. Also, in close proximity to Ioannina is the port of Igoumenitsa, which connects Epirus with nearby islands and Italy, while also serving cruise tourism. Also quite important are the motorways with the Egnatia, the Ionian Highway, and the E65, which have made travel within Greece faster, while the Paradriatic Axis, with its completion, will make access to Balkan and Central European countries easier.
During the meeting, other advantages of the region were also discussed, such as the two large modern hospitals and the high level of the University of Ioannina, with the IT department being of great interest, given that India is a rising power in the field of technology. Reference was also made to the issue of tourist visas for Indian visitors.
Also present at the meeting was the Indian travel agent Mr. Sunny Pariani (Comp.Greek Life), who had recently organized a trip for Indian VIP tourists to the region. Following his moves, the largest Bollywood film producer, Mr. Boney Kapoor, chose Ioannina for the filming of his next film. On the occasion, the ambassador was informed about the Indian productions that have already been made in the region, such as the film Mushkil and the video clip of the song Udti Hoon Patangon Jaisi.
For his part, the ambassador, who, in addition to the city of Ioannina, visited Zagorochoria and Metsovo, stated that he was fascinated by the beauty of the region. As he mentioned, Greece is gaining ground in the Indian tourist market and mainly the islands, with the closest popular destination for Indians to us being Corfu.
Finally, Mr. Sioutis gifted Mr. Tandon two local wines, and they closed the meeting in a very good atmosphere with the promise that he would soon visit our region again.
