As part of the Greek National Tourism Organization’s (GNTO) initiatives to promote Thessaloniki as a tourism destination, the Secretary General of the Organization, Mr. Andreas Fiorentinos, made statements during his visit to the 89th Thessaloniki International Fair.
In detail, Mr. Fiorentinos said:
“We are clearly satisfied with the increase in tourist traffic in Thessaloniki for the third consecutive year. Of course, such results do not happen by chance. The recovery of tourism in Thessaloniki was a clear government priority and did not come automatically or self-evidently. It is the result of systematic efforts by institutional, local, and private stakeholders to highlight the city’s dynamic potential as an autonomous destination. GNTO has made significant investments in promoting Thessaloniki, activating its entire network of partners in key feeder markets for the destination.
The action plan we are implementing for tourism in Thessaloniki relies on GNTO’s deep expertise both in promoting the Greece brand and its destinations, and in structuring the distribution channels of the tourism product in target countries. Taking into account international trends, with the prevailing desire of travelers to visit new emerging destinations, we have built our plan around three main pillars:
a) strengthening destination awareness,
b) enriching the tourism product portfolio, and
c) supporting air connectivity and penetrating new markets.
Our ultimate goal is for Thessaloniki to be established among the top ten most popular city break and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions) destinations in Europe, to showcase the uniqueness of the travel experience it offers, and to build the right foundation for the development of the destination and the attraction of travelers from long-haul inbound markets.”
Brand Awareness – Thessaloniki
On strengthening destination awareness, the Secretary General noted:
“In terms of awareness, we are building on the success of the Greekend campaign launched by GNTO in 2022, and we continue to promote the city through targeted press and fam trips.
At the same time, we are investing in all of the city’s outreach initiatives, most notably the Public–Private Partnership for promoting Central Macedonia and Thessaloniki as a gateway to the wider destination.”
Enriching the Tourism Product Portfolio
On enriching the product portfolio, Mr. Fiorentinos emphasized:
“Thessaloniki has the foundation to develop a rich product portfolio capable of supporting tourism throughout the year. A key advantage of the city is the high visitor satisfaction rate with their overall travel experience, as well as the upgraded offering of 4- and 5-star hotels. By leveraging culture, gastronomy, and modern infrastructure as comparative advantages, GNTO will announce in 2025 a strategic partnership to highlight Thessaloniki’s gastronomic scene, along with a new video promoting conference tourism in cooperation with the Greek Meetings Alliance and the city’s Convention Bureau.”
Supporting Air Connectivity – New Markets
Mr. Fiorentinos placed particular emphasis on actions to support air connectivity, strengthen key markets, and open new ones for Thessaloniki. He noted:
“Air connectivity with selected markets, aimed at attracting visitors year-round, is at the core of GNTO’s strategy.
We have already announced the expansion of Transavia France’s operations in Thessaloniki, as a result of our meetings in Paris in September 2024. Following our presentation of Thessaloniki’s potential to the TUI Group in May 2025, it has been agreed through a co-marketing program with GNTO to increase the company’s capacity in Thessaloniki by 6% in 2026 across the group, covering existing markets such as the UK, Germany, and Scandinavia, and adding new ones such as the Netherlands, Belgium, and Poland.
In parallel, GNTO is in advanced discussions for co-marketing agreements with three of Europe’s largest travel groups (EasyJet, Jet2, and British Airways), both to strengthen connectivity with the UK, Germany, and Italy, and to create new themed packages combining urban and cultural tourism. In this context, we have set out a very specific roadmap, with measurable goals and results, to increase Thessaloniki’s share in key markets such as Germany, the UK, Italy, and Poland, while further penetrating markets such as France, Italy, the Czech Republic, Israel, and Turkey.
Furthermore, GNTO has already opened discussions on attracting direct flights from major long-haul markets such as the US, as there is demand and clientele for the city’s hotels. This requires a plan, collaboration of forces, and consistency of effort in order to achieve lasting results. We will take a similar approach with other emerging markets of growing importance to our country, such as India, Australia, Japan, South Korea, and Latin America.”
