Greece is a destination open to all visitors “genuinely interested in religious tourism and truly seeking to find themselves,” Alternate Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura noted on Friday, in statements to the ANA-MPA.
It was a place where visitors could “find their soul and embark on such a spiritual quest while on a carefree holiday,” Kountoura said during the launch of the first Conference on Pilgrimage and Relgious Tourism organised in Lagonissi as part of the cross-cultural ‘Greece in Russia, Russia in Greece’ year.
Ms. Kountoura opened the Greek-Russian Religious and Pilgrimage Tourism Conference in Lagonissi, stressing that efforts have already begun for developing religious tourism and that many markets have expressed a strong interest in religious and pilgrimage tours and programs at Greek destinations.
The minister expressed hope that the conference marked the start of closer cooperation between Greece and Russia, noting the presence of clergy representing the churches of both countries at the conference, as well as all travel agencies dealing in theme tourism, and especially religious and faith tourism, in Greece and Russia.
“We are promoting and projecting our religious, spiritual wealth. Both countries are joined by Orthodoxy through the range of all those good things that we share with Russia, with which we have had an unbreakable bond through the years. We want to strengthen this and satisfy all Russian tourists, who can make many choices. One of these choices is the entire range of theme tourism,” Kountoura said, expressing confidence that Greece could satisfy all Russian tourists that chose to spend their holidays in the country.
More funds for promoting Greece abroad
At the conference, the Secretary General for Information and Communications, Lefteris Kretsos, announced that efforts will be made for the tourism ministry to receive more funds for promoting Greece abroad.
Speeches were also delivered by the head of the Special Synodical Committee for Pilgrims Tours of the Church of Greece Metropolitan Chrysostomos; the director of the department of tourism and regional policy of Russia’s Culture Ministry, Olga Yarilova; the executive director of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR), Maya Lomidze; and the general director of the Pilgrim Centre of Moscow Patriarchy, Deacon Sergiy.
Presentations were also made during a session entitled “Spiritual Search of Orthodoxy”by the representative of the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece and Secretary of the Synod office of pilgrimage tours Archimandrite Spyridon Katramados; the Archimandrite in Holy Metropolis of Petras & Herronisos, Titos Tampakakis; the representative of the Holy Metropolises of the Dodecanese, father Vartholomeos Siarlis; and the representative of the Holy Community of Mount Athos, father Nicodemus Lavriotis.
The conference was attended by Greek and Russian tourism professionals that specialize in religious tourism travel packages and pilgrimage tours.
Read also Greece and Russia hold conference on pilgrimage and religious tourism in Lagonisi, Athens
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