The strengthening of strategic cooperation between Greece and Croatia in the field of tourism was the main subject of the bilateral meeting held by the Minister of Tourism, Ms. Olga Kefalogiannis, with the Minister of Tourism and Sports of Croatia, Mr. Ton?i Glavina, in Dubrovnik.
The meeting took place following his official invitation to the Greek Minister, in the context of the Croatian Tourism Days 2025, a leading event for the co-formation of tourism policy in Southeastern Europe.
The focus of the bilateral meeting between the Minister of Tourism and her Croatian counterpart was the strengthening of the strategic cooperation between Greece and Croatia for the successful response to the major challenges of the sector, such as the sustainable development of destinations, while strengthening their unique identity, strengthening their resilience, with an emphasis on the protection of local communities, as well as the promotion of a joint action to promote destinations in new markets, such as India and Korea.
The Minister emphasized that the cooperation between the two countries can shape a new model of destination management, in which sustainable tourism development goes hand in hand with the quality of life of residents and the care of the natural and cultural environment.
Particular emphasis was placed by the Minister of Tourism on the importance of strengthening special forms of tourism, such as maritime, mountain, gastronomic and of course cultural tourism, as driving forces for the qualitative development of lesser-known destinations, but also overall for the extension of visitation throughout the year, which is a common goal of both countries.
Throughout the bilateral meeting, the dominant topic was the challenges of shaping European policies in tourism and in the context of cooperation between member states for the formation of common priorities in the coming period.
With Greece being a dominant partner in the sector in the EU, Ms. Kefalogiannis asked her Croatian counterpart for strong support for Greece’s proposal for a special funding line in the European budget in the new programming period, and stressed the importance of joint European initiatives in favor of sustainable tourism development.
The new European Policy for Sustainable Tourism under development, which has been proclaimed by the Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, constitutes a unique window of opportunity at a time when tourism now has its own portfolio, and therefore political weight and increased recognition in European institutions.
Finally, in the context of the cooperation between the two countries in the WCO, the common position was confirmed to strengthen the role of the Region of Europe in the institutional processes of the Organization and the need to formulate policies that promote quality, balanced destination planning and support for local communities.
The Minister of Tourism, Mrs. Olga Kefalogianni, is accompanied on the official visit to Dubrovnik by the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Mrs. Anna Karamanli, the Secretary General of Tourism Policy and Development, Mrs. Vasiliki Koutsoukou, and the President of the Hellenic Tourism Organization, Mrs. Angeliki Varela.
